House Approves DHS Funding Bill, Acts to Block Obama’s Immigration Moves

iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — In the first major showdown of the new GOP congressional majority against the White House, the House voted 236-190 Wednesday to approve an appropriations bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year, simultaneously acting to block President Obama’s executive actions regarding immigration reform.

Moments earlier, lawmakers approved two controversial amendments to attach to the spending bill, including narrowly approving the Blackburn amendment to block funding for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that delays deportations of undocumented children. The House also approved another amendment, known as the Aderholt amendment, to block the president’s executive actions outlined in a memo last November.

A Democratic alternative, touted by Democrats as a clean DHS spending bill, failed to achieve sufficient support  — 184-244 — to replace the GOP’s amended underlying legislation.

The Senate could still strip out the amendments or add alternative provisions before sending the legislation back to the House. Funding runs out at the end of the day on Feb. 27.

Democrats contended that by including the controversial amendments, House Republicans undermined DHS’ ability to protect Americans, even in the aftermath of several high-profile terrorist attacks around the globe.

“The majority is playing politics with the safety of the American people,” Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said during debate on the bill. “In the wake of Paris, we need to remain vigilant with policies that protect Americans.”

Republicans argued, however, that any delay in signing the bill could jeopardize the country’s national security.

“We do not take this action lightly, but simply there is no alternative,” House Speaker John Boehner said during a floor speech as he closed debate on the bill. “This is not a dispute between the parties, or even between the branches of our government. This executive overreach is an affront to the rule of law and to the Constitution itself.”

DHS was the odd agency out when Congress approved the so-called “Cromnibus” last December, funding every other agency and teeing up a 2015 battle with the White House over the president’s executive actions regarding immigration reform.

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