Conservatives chafe at GOP plan to lock in Homeland Security spending with no border changes
Mary Lou Masters
Daily Caller News Foundation
Conservatives are already pushing back against an as-yet unannounced plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and its border enforcement efforts, at current levels with a continuing resolution through the end of fiscal year 2024.
Republican leadership is considering putting forth a continuing resolution (CR) for the agency that wouldn’t include spending cuts or new policy proposals, several sources familiar told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday. Such a plan has already come under fire by conservatives in both chambers, including Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Chip Roy of Texas, as well as GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
“Any spending measure that continues funding DHS without significant policy riders to secure the border and protect the American people is a complete failure,” Clyde told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “Congress must use the power of the purse to stop President Biden’s intentional illegal invasion from further damaging our country and terrorizing our communities.”
Roy shared Clyde’s sentiment in a Friday social media post.
“Why is the [House GOP] going to push the 2nd half of the cap-busting mega-Omnibus government funding bill next week with DHS funded with a “continuing resolution” – and no policy reforms – while radical progressive democrats force this horror on Americans?” Roy wrote.
Congress faces another deadline on March 22 to fund the remaining federal agencies, including DHS, after partially completing the appropriations process last week.
“If it’s a very short-term DHS continuing resolution, it could help us gain leverage on border security,” Lee wrote on X. “But if it’s a CR to fund DHS at current levels through the end of FY2024, a DHS CR would solidify Biden’s border-security disaster. Secure the border. Or shut it down.”
A source familiar with the DHS plan under consideration argued it will provide President Joe Biden with the necessary tools to “secure the border” if he so chooses.
“During negotiations, Democrats insisted on undercutting border enforcement and rejected any common-sense proposals to make the border more secure — a non-starter for Republicans,” the source told the DCNF. “While a CR is not ideal, it is far better than supercharging President Biden’s disastrous border policies. At a minimum, a CR would provide what’s needed to secure the border *if* the President changes his policies. If he fails to do that, the crisis at the border will continue to be one of his choosing.”
Congress has already passed four continuing resolutions to temporarily fund the agencies since the fiscal year began on Sept. 30. Biden signed the lawmakers’ latest legislation on March 9 to avert a government shutdown, which included six appropriations bills.
The first “minibus” included spending legislation for Commerce, Justice and Science; Energy and Water Development; Department of the Interior and Environment; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
Along with DHS funding, next week’s legislation will include appropriations for Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Education; Legislative Branch; and State and Foreign Operations.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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