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05/03/2024 10:36:53 am

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House Speaker John Boehner Blames DHS Funding Problem on Democrats

House Speaker John Boehner

(Photo : Reuters) House Speaker John Boehner is one of the many Republican Representatives opposing the migration law prepped up by President Barack Obama.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is on the verge of shut down as it gets caught in the battle between the Republicans and Democrats over immigration reforms.

House Speaker John Boehner said he is bracing for the closure of the department but blamed the Democrats for the imminent shut down.

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"The House has acted. We've done our job," CBS quotes Boehner as saying. "Senate Democrats are the ones putting us in this precarious position. It's up to Senate Democrats to get their act together."

The GOP-controlled House would pass the bill funding the DHS if the Democrats would block U.S. President Barack Obama's executive action on immigrants. The House has approved the bill, but it is the Democrat-controlled Senate that has stood in the way.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke harshly about Boehner's plan not to fund the DHS which would compromise safety of the American people.

"The Speaker's reliance on talking points and finger-pointing was a sad reflection of the fact that Tea Party continues to hold the gavel as they insist on their futile anti-immigrant grandstanding," said Pelosi.

New York Republican Rep. Peter King foresees the GOP being blamed as he noted news about the ISIS, Paris and decapitations, while his party's response is to shutdown Homeland Security.

On the president's request for military force to battle the extremist terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Boehner said that Obama's proposal is too restrictive. The speaker hinted that the request has little chance of getting congressional approval.

He said that a robust strategy is needed by the U.S. to take on the ISIS, plus also a robust authorization. He added that he does not believe that Obama's request would guarantee victory over the enemy.

Funding for DHS lapses on February 28, after which non-essential workers will not be paid by Washington anymore.

Pelosi points out that votes are present to approve the bill now, all that is needed is for Boehner to get out of the way.

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