Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) took the virtually
unprecedented step of nailing John Boehner’s obstruction by announcing
that Senate Democrats will not support any deal to fund Homeland
Security unless Boehner caves first.
In an extraordinary sequence of events, Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered Democrats exactly what they have
been asking for Tuesday — “clean” full-year funding for the Department
of Homeland Security. And Minority Leader Harry Reid said “no” — or at
least, “not yet.”
McConnell’s offer of such a bill shorn of provisions
blocking President Barack Obama’s recent immigration executive orders —
which he said could happen quickly with Democratic cooperation — was
put on hold by Reid, who said he was waiting to hear Speaker John A.
Boehner agree to pass it through the House first.
“We have to make sure that we get a bill to the president,” Reid said. “Unless Boehner’s in on the deal, it won’t happen.”
In other words, Democrats aren’t going to agree to
anything until Boehner makes the House vote on it first. Harry Reid
learned for years of broken Boehner promises to know that the Speaker’s
word is worthless. (Speaker Boehner promised that Homeland Security
wouldn’t shut down, but the nation is just days away from exactly what
Boehner said would not happen.) Reid is going make sure that the House
Republicans can’t back out of any deal that is made.
Democrats aren’t going to get sucked into the House
Republican dysfunction. Boehner needs to pass a clean funding bill for
Homeland Security before Senate Democrats will sign on. Speaker
Boehner’s office continues to suggest that they will not pass a clean
funding bill, but if House Republicans are waiting for Senate Democrats
to blink, they are going to be disappointed.
Rep. Boehner has earned every ounce of distrust that
Democrats have for him. The message is clear. Senate Democrats aren’t
going to give John Boehner any wiggle room. If Homeland Security shuts
down, it’s going to be Boehner’s fault.
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