DHS budget impasse fuels tension between House, Senate Republicans

Published February 11, 2015

House and Senate Republicans are having their first big family feud since taking control of Congress, as they hit a rock-hard budget impasse that threatens to trigger a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

After a solid 16 months without a government shutdown of any kind, Congress is careening toward an end-of-the-month funding deadline for DHS without a new budget.

The House already passed a bill that includes provisions overturning President Obama's controversial immigration executive actions. But despite repeated attempts last week, the Senate was unable to pass that bill -- as Democrats blocked it, over and over again. Democrats want the immigration provisions stripped.

Yet House Republican leaders are refusing to take another crack at the bill. A senior House GOP leadership aide told Fox News there is no backup plan -- they are insisting the House-passed bill is the only proposal.

This is a dare not only to Democrats but to their Senate Republican colleagues, who are equally adamant that the House should make the next move.

"I can tell you I think it's clearly stuck in the Senate," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters after a closed-door lunch of Senate Republicans. "And the next step is obviously up to the House."

For his part, House Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday said the House has done its job and it's time for the Senate to act. He put the onus on Democrats, saying they need to "get off their ass."

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's office shot back, with a spokesman saying: "We know Speaker Boehner is frustrated but cursing is not going to resolve the squabbling among Republicans that led to this impasse."

The flare-up Wednesday underscored the worsening stalemate on Capitol Hill with funding for the Homeland Security Department set to expire Feb. 27. Republicans aren't sure what comes next and one senior source told Fox News, "There is no plan, which is scary."

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DHS budget impasse fuels tension between House, Senate Republicans

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