Quick Note: Homeland Security Funding About to Run Out: Republican Response? "Meh"

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out at the end of February. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services exist under the umbrella of the DHS.  Congressional Republicans have spent much of their short time in Washington trying to find a way to stop President Obama's recent executive action on immigration and to reverse earlier actions including his allowing young people who were brought to this country as children and have grown up here to remain in the U.S.  

First the GOP proposed defunding all immigration services, but they were told the President's latest action was totally paid for by immigration and green card application fees--Congress couldn't touch it. 

Next they proposed rewriting the rules for the entire department, putting all the funds under congressional jurisdiction in order to redirect any application fees to other divisions--thus leaving no funds to pay for the President's action.  That idea was passed by the House, but is unlikely to make it through the Senate.

Lately, seeing the DHS funding deadline swiftly approaching and with all positive movement on the issue stalled, Republicans have begun floating another idea: Let the deadline pass without doing anything at all.

A border security bill that was scheduled to be brought up in the House this week is now on hold until late February or perhaps March--after the funding deadline has passed.  Representative Matt Salmon (R-Arizona) said he feared the border security bill would become some kind of "bargaining chip," so "I don't want to do the vote until after February 27."

Because, God forbid the GOP should be caught "bargaining" compromising in anyway.

Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida) told Politico that since most of the 280,000 employees in the DHS are considered "essential," they will continue to work anyway, even if Congress fails to provide them with paychecks. "It's not the end of the world."

I'm willing to bet that those 280,000 employees who have families to feed and mortgages to pay would disagree.

Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, echoed Mr. Diaz-Balart's opinion, explaining that, if the funding deadline is missed only 13.6 percent  (that's almost 40,000 people!) of the department's employees will actually be furloughed.  The rest will continue to "function no matter what happens."  He joined several other Senate Republicans in saying they really don't care if March 1 arrives without a new funding bill in place.

Appearing on Newsmax TV's American Forum, Senator Johnson accused the President of playing politics.  He also said he agreed with a 25 page memo entitled "Immigration Handbook for the New Republican Majority" written by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) in which he urges his fellow party members to block all funding for the President's executive action on immigration.

Nope, no political games being played by anyone in the GOP.  Riiiiight.

When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked about the approaching deadline, he said the Senate would try to pass a funding bill but "if we're unable to do that, we'll see what happens."

So much for "governing responsibly." 

The laissez-faire attitude among congressional Republicans--not only toward the people who depend on their jobs to provide for their families--but for the American people as a whole is unconscionable.   

And, until Barack Obama won the White House, unknown in American politics.