House Speaker John Boehner is expected to move soon — as early as Wednesday — to bring up the clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security for a vote on the House floor, according to two House GOP sources familiar with leadership discussions.
A clean bill to fully fund the Department through the end of the fiscal year is what Democrats have been demanding, and conservatives have been fighting against.
The plan is for a Republican member to bring up the Senate bill as a “privileged resolution,” which would mean it would get relatively quick vote on the House floor. Sources say leaders are still working out the timing, and who would offer the resolution to begin the process.
Although under House rules a Democrat could try to force this vote, these sources say it will be a House Republican who will move to proceed with the vote on the funding bill.
Conservatives have been demanding a conference committee with the House and Senate to work out the differences on the DHS spending bill. But on Monday, as expected, Senate Democrats voted to block any effort to set up a conference committee.
Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel declined to address the next steps.
“We are disappointed that Senate Democrats have once again rejected regular order,” he said. “Now, we will talk with House Republican members about the way forward.”
The House GOP conference will meet on Tuesday morning. Boehner’s allies are expected to push rank-and-file members to vote for the clean DHS bill, making the argument that they support fighting back against President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration, but it’s time to move on from waging the battle on a critical spending bill that funds domestic security.
And Boehner, who is usually getting attacked from conservative groups on such matters, will now get some help from an outside GOP group. The American Action Network is rolling out $400,000 worth of television and radio ads targeting many of the House conservatives who voted against a short-term funding bill to fund DHS, warning them against risking American security.
