WASHINGTON — US Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell on Tuesday announced the chamber will take up a Homeland Security funding bill that attacks a recent White House immigration action.

The House last month approved a $39.7 billion Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that covers the remainder of fiscal 2015. It includes billions for things built by US defense firms, like Coast Guard ships and aircraft.

McConnell has been under pressure from Democrats to strip controversial immigration policy riders included in the House bill.

He also has been under pressure from Republicans to engineer a floor fight — with DHS spending at risk ahead of a Feb. 27 deadline — over President Barack Obama's decision to cease deportations of some illegal immigrants.

For the latest national security news from Capitol Hill, go to CongressWatch

Many lawmakers and sources say privately they expect both chambers eventually will pass a "clean" DHS-funding measure.

But McConnell made clear Tuesday morning on the Senate floor that will only occur after the chamber spends a week or more trading barbs over the immigration action.

And he attempts to shift the pressure from his shoulders onto those of Senate Democrats, some of whom he will need to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to halt debate and move to an up-or-down vote.

"But we're hoping our colleagues in the Democratic Party will agree that elected leaders can be bigger than that," the majority leader said. "We're hoping Democrats will agree that it's on presidents to consider the long-term consequences of partisan power grabs — and to rise above the kind of partisan temptations that emerge.

"The choices Democrats make on the legislation before us will say a lot about whether there are still two serious political parties in this country, whether there are still two parties interested in governing within a constitutional framework," McConnell said. "At its core, this debate is about whether Democrats think presidents, of either party, should have the power to simply do what they want."

The lower chamber's DHS-funding measure contains billions for defense sector-supplied Coast Guard hardware, like National Security Cutter ships, HC-130J aircraft acquisitions and maintenance, H-60 helicopter remanufacturing, and other programs.

Current DHS funding expires Feb. 27, and Congress plans a weeklong recess from Feb. 16-20.

Share:
More In Congress