A Republican Study Committee meeting today gave some indication of how much work House leadership has to do to rally support for a government funding bill that does not withhold funding for President Obama’s executive orders on immigration.
“There were opinions all over the place,” Representative Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.) told National Review Online. “There were members that were adamant that we shouldn’t vote for anything that funded any of these institutions surrounding these executive orders or soon to be set of actions. there were others who were simply saying, ‘hey, let’s do a short-term CR for the whole thing’ . . . and then there were others who said, hey look, let’s get this thing done’” by backing something like a CRomnibus — a proposal that would fund most of government for the year but leave the Department of Homeland Security on a short-term continuing resolution.
Conservative lawmakers want a bill that includes a prohibition on implementing Obama’s new immigration policy.
“Related to the president’s unconstitutional executive order, we should precisely isolate that and make sure that we don’t do anything to fund that,” Representative Trent Franks (R., Ariz.) told NRO after the RSC meeting.
A leadership attempt to pass a bill that stops short of that would pit two former Republican Study Committee chairmen against each other.
“I’d vote against that if that’s what’s put on the floor,” said Representative Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), who led the RSC in 2011 and 2012. “This was a big issue in the campaign and we’re not going to respond with the ultimate power that we have, which is the spending authority?”
Jordan’s successor as RSC chairman is now the House whip, Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise, who is tasked with rounding up the votes for leadership proposals. Most of the chatter this week suggests that House Republicans will pass a CRomnibus spending bill that funds most of government for the next year, but leaves the Department of Homeland Security on a short-term continuing resolution.
One Republican who attended the RSC meeting suggested that leadership is very far from having the votes to pass such a bill.
“They’re welcome to file it, they’re welcome to present it, and they’re welcome to go find 100 Democrats [to help pass it],” the lawmaker told NRO.