Thread: Bill to undo Obama immigration actions, fund DHS fails in Senate test vote

Bill to undo Obama immigration actions, fund DHS fails in Senate test vote

Published February 03, 2015 FoxNews.com

A bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security while also unraveling President Obama's immigration actions failed on a test vote in the Senate on Tuesday, likely forcing majority Republicans to come back with an alternative plan ahead of a looming funding deadline.

The bill failed on a 51-48 vote in the Senate, after the House approved similar legislation last month. It needed 60 votes to advance in the Senate.

At least one Republican, Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, voted along with a unified Democratic caucus to block the bill.

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expires Feb. 27.

Republicans attached measures in the latest bill that would undo Obama's immigration actions, which aim to shield 4 million illegal immigrants from deportation.

The president reiterated his concerns that the battle over DHS funding was putting national security at risk ahead of the vote. He said department workers "need certainty in order to do their jobs."
Obama spoke at the beginning of a meeting with his Cabinet, a day after sending his $4 trillion budget to Congress. "The men and women of America's homeland security apparatus do important work to protect us, and Republicans and Democrats in Congress should not be playing politics with that," Obama said at DHS headquarters on Monday.

But conservatives want to use the budget bill as leverage to combat the president's immigration actions.

Democrats have said they oppose anything other than a clean funding bill. It was unlikely that Republicans would be able to pull off Tuesday's vote since they only have a 54-seat majority.

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