House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans this morning that they will vote on the Senate-passed version of the DHS funding bill that provides full funding for Pres. Obama's unconstitutional amnesties. Boehner called the vote a "full cave" in their efforts to stop Obama's actions and expected the vote to take place later today.
"I am as outraged and frustrated as you at the lawless and unconstitutional actions of this president," Boehner said. "I believe this decision -- considering where we are -- is the right one for this team, and the right one for this country. The good news is that the president's executive action has been stopped, for now. This matter will continue to be litigated in the courts, where we have our best chance of winning this fight."
Yesterday, the Senate rejected a request from the House to go to conference and work out the differences between the opposing bills passed by the House and Senate. It then sent its "clean" version back to the House for reconsideration.
House Rule XXII allows any Member of the House to call for a vote on a Senate-passed bill once the Senate has rejected a conference request from the House. Even though Republicans control the House, the rule allows Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to request a vote on the House floor. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) offered a House resolution on Monday that would have suspended Rule XXII -- something that was done during the 2013 government shutdown when Republicans suspended the rule to prevent a Democrat from bringing a Senate-passed bill to the House floor for a vote.
Boehner asked for a House Republican, preferably an appropriator, to bring the Senate bill to the floor rather than rely on a Democrat to do it.
Last month, Federal District Judge Andrew Hanen issued a temporary injunction against Pres. Obama's executive amnesties. Republican Leaders are using that decision as a way to convince other Republicans to vote for the "clean" DHS funding bill. But Judge Hanen's decision could get overturned at any moment, and his ruling only applies to the Southern District of Texas. Pres. Obama has said the administration will not begin accepting applications from illegal aliens for amnesty and work permits until the courts have ruled on the issue, but Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) is pressuring the administration to move forward outside of Judge Hanen's district. Furthermore, the courts, in future rulings, could interpret inaction on the part of Congress as an endorsement of Obama's amnesties.
