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Republicans meeting on strategy to counter Obama immigration moves Republican strategy to counter Obama immigration moves emerging
(about 3 hours later)
This item has been updated.This item has been updated.
Republican lawmakers are moving closer to using legislation to fund the federal government as a way to formally respond to President Obama's overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, meeting Tuesday to discuss exactly how to proceed. Congressional Republicans are developing plans to use their funding authority to challenge President Obama’s recent executive actions on immigration.
The House GOP was still considering several possible funding bills as discussions continued, the leadership's favored Hill response to Obama's immigration moves, according to senior GOP aides familiar with the process -- a strategy that would demonstrate the party's defiance while avoiding the shutdown theatrics and public disapproval that plagued it last year. The emerging response is one early example of how the new GOP majorities in the next Congress plan to govern: with anger toward president whom they believe has abused the powers of his office, but wary of their own potential for political over-reaching.
The debate to come will need to strike a delicate balance. It will need to assure conservatives the immigration fight is not being abandoned. It will also need to avoid alienating the Hispanic and immigrant community that has welcomes the changes. How the process is handled and what bill is ultimately passed will have implications far beyond Capitol Hill for a party that made significant gains this year but is still rebuilding its brand. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is building support for a package of proposals that would chastise the president and keep several enforcement agencies on a short leash, allowing Republicans to keep the immigration debate active into the new year once they have full congressional control. He unveiled the proposal to members Tuesday morning, but told reporters that no final decisions have been made.
One bill under review, pushed by tea party conservative Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), would attempt to ban the White House from changing immigration laws, and is seen as a largely symbolic effort to curb the president's executive authority. If passed, it would be quickly discarded by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Aides privately described a two-step process that would begin with a bill to ban the White House from changing immigration laws, a largely symbolic effort to curb Obama's executive authority that would be quickly discarded by the Democratic-controlled Senate. The bill is being pushed by tea party conservative Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.).
Another proposal, with more implications for government funding, is a long-term comprehensive spending bill with parts related to immigration funding adjusted so that they are only funded for a brief period. The intent would be to keep most of the government funded while keeping the debate on immigration active into the new year. The second bill would fund most of the government through the end of the fiscal year next September, but strip out parts related to immigration funding. Those agencies and programs would be funded for a briefer period, likely until the Spring, giving GOP lawmakers more time to come up with specific ways to chip away at Obama's executive actions.
The situation, however, remains fluid and how the leadership manages to float and sell its possible plays will be under scrutiny on Tuesday when Republicans hear from House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). Ahead of that meeting, Boehner was seen conferring during Monday night votes in the House Chamber with Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who chairs the Appropriations Committee and has been pushing for as seamless a process as possible. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh C. Johnson warned lawmakers that incrementally funding his department and its dozens of agencies risked the nation's security and his ability to enforce current immigration laws. Johnson clashed with GOP lawmakers Tuesday over Obama's recent executive actions during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing.
Several potential Republican presidential candidates, concerned about the political consequences of another showdown between the White House and Capitol Hill, are keeping close watch on the deliberations and urging caution. Whether Congress can escape from the lame-duck session with the government funded for at least a short period is the first major test for Boehner and incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the post-election period, forcing them to grapple with the many competing blocs in their conferences and quickly build a cross-chamber political consensus. They will also need to be on high alert as the deadline looms. If the votes are not there for their composite plan, a stopgap bill to fund the government, without the leadership's appropriations attached, may be needed to ensure a shutdown is averted.
At a private luncheon Monday on Capitol Hill, former Florida governor Jeb Bush told a group of GOP officials and donors, including soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), that the party should avoid a standoff. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has made it clear that Republicans should not expect Democratic votes for bills that only provides short-term funding for immigration programs, leaving Boehner little room for error as he counts votes.
Over the past several weeks, Boehner and his team have been privately making the case to rank-and-file members that the party's best chance at dismantling the president's changes would come next year, once Republicans control both congressional chambers. Pointing to last year's 16-day shutdown, they have argued against making GOP opposition an easy target for Democrats and cautioning against the likely internal strife that an immigration standoff this winter would cause, so soon after the party made significant gains in the midterm elections.
Boehner told reporters Tuesday that Republicans are "looking at a variety of options, both for right now and when Republicans control both houses of the Congress next year." He later added that Obama's actions were "a serious breach of our Constitution. It's a serious threat to our system of government."
Conservatives remain skeptical about whether Boehner is being aggressive enough.
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) spoke up in the Tuesday meeting and warned his colleagues that they could be "accessories" to the president if they fund federal immigration agencies, even for a brief period into the new year, according to several members present. That is the thrust of an approach outlined by Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), the incoming budget committee chairman, which would only provide short term funding for the Homeland Security Department that will be responsible for implementing Obama's executive actions.
King told reporters that any funding for immigration makes Republicans part of the problem. "If we go forward, they're asking members to vote to fund that in the short term, and then promising that we will fight in the longer term when we have a majority in the United States Senate," he said. "I don't want that red herring to be dragged across in front of us. We have to fight."
King's argument has been echoed in the Senate by Sen Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who has pitched his party on cutting funds for immigration programs unless the president relents and using spending bills as leverage in winning Democratic concessions.
The selection of Yoho's bill as one of the key parts of the emerging combination package of legislation is a signal from Boehner to the House's conservative members that he is looking to one of their own as he plots his immigration gambit. Even though Boehner faces no serious challenge for the gavel, he is aware of the need to keep conservatives on his side on immigration, or else risk another revolt among grassroots activists.
Yoho, who has talked up impeachment more than almost any other House Republican, voted against Boehner in the speaker election two years ago. Yoho said Tuesday that he was convinced that Boehner's decision to bring him into the mix was not a symbolic gesture designed to reassure conservatives.
"I don't think so," Yoho told reporters. "[Boehner] said this was a good bill and they're going to bring it up."
Several potential Republican presidential candidates, concerned about the political consequences of another showdown between the White House and Capitol Hill, are keeping close watch and urging caution.
At a private luncheon Monday on Capitol Hill, former Florida governor Jeb Bush told a group of GOP officials and donors, including McConnell and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), that the party should avoid a standoff.
Instead, Bush said in brief remarks, Republicans should pass a series of "sensible" immigration bills next year once they control both congressional chambers to underscore their commitment to governing and reforming the immigration system with their own policies.Instead, Bush said in brief remarks, Republicans should pass a series of "sensible" immigration bills next year once they control both congressional chambers to underscore their commitment to governing and reforming the immigration system with their own policies.
Bush also argued that this post-election moment was an ideal setting for Republicans to better promote their ideas on energy, education, and the economy and said he hoped those issues would not be overshadowed.Bush also argued that this post-election moment was an ideal setting for Republicans to better promote their ideas on energy, education, and the economy and said he hoped those issues would not be overshadowed.
"It was a mature pitch," said Bush ally Dan Meyer, a former legislative affairs official in the George W. Bush White House. "He was serious about the importance of leading responsibly.""It was a mature pitch," said Bush ally Dan Meyer, a former legislative affairs official in the George W. Bush White House. "He was serious about the importance of leading responsibly."
Speaking earlier, McConnell said Republicans must pursue an aggressive agenda in the coming months without becoming mired by internal clashes over strategy. While highly critical of the president, he did not call for a drastic fiscal battle to be mounted during the lame-duck session as a response to the president's action.Speaking earlier, McConnell said Republicans must pursue an aggressive agenda in the coming months without becoming mired by internal clashes over strategy. While highly critical of the president, he did not call for a drastic fiscal battle to be mounted during the lame-duck session as a response to the president's action.
"McConnell stood up and addressed the challenges that he and the Republicans have going forward. He told us about the need to manage expectations that come with winning power," said John Pohanka, an automobile dealer and GOP donor."McConnell stood up and addressed the challenges that he and the Republicans have going forward. He told us about the need to manage expectations that come with winning power," said John Pohanka, an automobile dealer and GOP donor.
The meeting at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's headquarters was officially billed as a fundraiser for Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who is campaigning against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) in a runoff scheduled for Saturday. Donors were served a spread of cold sandwiches and chocolate-chip cookies. The meeting at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's headquarters was billed as a fundraiser for Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who is campaigning against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) in a runoff scheduled for Saturday.
Leaving the session, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Bush's presentation "great" but declined to say more about the party's ongoing immigration talks. Separately, Heritage Action CEO Mike Needham warned that conservative activists -- and especially "our 10,000 sentinels" who follow Congress closely -- would rally to defund immigration programs in the coming days, shrugging off the advice coming from the party's establishment.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who introduced Bush on Monday and announced that he won't be running for president himself, said he remains optimistic that Republicans can pass long-term appropriations bills. "We will ask Republicans to propose a limiting amendment that would cut any fees or funds for the president's unlawful amnesty," Needham said in an interview  Monday. "If they put that onto an omnibus bill as a rider, it could be something we support. But we expect Republicans to use the power of the purse to make sure the president's actions are not enforced or funded."
"No one in the leadership, or in meetings I'm in, is talking about shutting down the government," Portman said. Echoing Bush, he added, "The right way to approach immigration is to legislate."
But Heritage Action CEO Mike Needham warned that conservative activists -- and especially "our 10,000 sentinels" who follow Congress closely -- would rally to defund immigration programs in the coming days, shrugging off the advice coming from the party's establishment.
"We will ask Republicans to propose a limiting amendment that would cut any fees or funds for the president's unlawful amnesty," Needham said. "If they put that onto an omnibus bill as a rider, it could be something we support. But we expect Republicans to use the power of the purse to make sure the president's actions are not enforced or funded."
Beyond the spending bill, several unresolved issues remain for Congress with less than two full weeks left on the calendar. House leaders have said that their target adjournment date is Friday Dec. 12. Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) warned on Monday that he might keep his chamber open the week before Christmas in order to complete unfinished business.
The other complex item still unresolved is the annual bill that sets Pentagon policy. The legislation is expected to include new language authorizing continued military operations in Iraq and Syria, but negotiators are still tied up on other details, including the fate of terrorism detainees at the U.S. facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and proposed changes to military housing allowances and some medical benefits for troops and their families. The fate of a federally-backed insurance program to protect against major terrorist attacks is also in flux as House and Senate negotiators keep talking about making changes to a Senate-passed plan.
With the House mulling all three bills, the Senate plans to devote most of the week to confirming more Obama administration nominees.
Two of President Obama's picks to serve as ambassadors -- Noah Mamet to serve in Argentina and Colleen Bell to serve as top envoy to Hungary -- are expected to be confirmed on Tuesday. Up next are nominees to serve as deputy secretary of housing and urban development; to be a commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; and nominees to serve as a member and the top lawyer of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.