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Government Shutdown Not Necessary to Block Obama Action on Illegal Immigrants, Republicans Say - Josh Siegel/Daily Signal
Republican leaders have zeroed in on a few options to keep the government running while confronting President Obama’s impending executive action to reshape the nation’s immigration system.
Obama’s intent to act alone to change enforcement of immigration laws — potentially deferring deportation for millions of illegal immigrants — complicates efforts by Congress to fund the government past Dec. 11, when current funding expires.
Republican lawmakers are discussing methods designed to use the power of the purse while avoiding another government shutdown — something all parties insist they want to avoid....
One option under consideration by leadership of the House Appropriations Committee is to pass a bill to fund the government until next fall but have the new Congress look to rescind funding next year from agencies that carry out any executive order by Obama on immigration.
Another option: Pass two separate funding bills — a short-term bill holding back funding for immigration enforcement agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and another measure funding the rest of the government for a full year.
Conservatives continue to push their own strategy of passing a clean, short-term bill through what is called a “continuing resolution.” That would allow lawmakers to come back to the spending fight early next year, after the GOP assumes control of the Senate as well as the House.
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There's no doubt where Mitch McConnell stands on the question of shutting down the government. "There will be no government shutdowns," the incoming Senate Majority Leader vowed the day after the midterms. - Byron York/Washington Examiner
@ByronYork
(T)oday's political world is far different from last year's. First, Republicans are contemplating answering President Obama's expected unilateral immigration action in ways that do not involve a government shutdown. And second, in light of the midterm results, some in the GOP are recognizing the original shutdown did not end up having the political effects that were once predicted.
First, the GOP response to Obama's anticipated order. The only thing Republicans will do in the lame duck session — that is, before they take control of the Senate, and keep control of the House, in January — is to make sure a short-term government funding bill is passed by the time the current one expires on Dec. 11....
Then in January, with the GOP in control — and, presumably, Obama's edict in hand — Republicans will work on crafting a new spending measure that funds the entire government, with the exception of the particular federal offices that will do the specific work of enforcing Obama's order.
Republican sources liken the contemplated action to Congress' move to stop the president from closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. In 2009, lawmakers denied Obama the money he would have needed to proceed. Guantanamo remains open.
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How Republicans Will Respond To Obama's Executive Amnesty - Conn Carroll//Townhall
Regardless of when President Obama announces his plan to give work permits and Social Security numbers to millions of illegal immigrants, House Republicans are now expected to pass a short-term government funding bill early this December that will allow them to defund Obama's work permit giveaway early next year.
“It happens all the time,” retiring Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) told National Review last week. “That’s not uncommon that there’s amendments saying ‘none of the funds in this appropriation bill may be spent for’ — fill in the blank,” Levin said.
Asked specifically whether Republican attempts to defund Obama's amnesty could be called "an effort to shutdown the government," Levin disagreed. “That’s not slash-and-burn. That’s not bringing down the government. That’s a fairly traditional, targeted approach to make a policy point.”
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Will the GOP use “rescission” to counter Obama’s immigration executive action? - Bruce McQuain/HotAir
Whatever the eventual plan, the next two months should be quite interesting. However, should they pass the spending bill before the next Congress, rescission provides a path for the GOP to cut funding to the programs that Obama targets with his EOs and trigger quite a nasty political battle next year.
