Jody Hice, Barry Loudermilk buck leaders, help sink short-term homeland security bill | Political Insider blog

WASHINGTON – With the clock ticking toward a midnight funding stoppage for the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. House failed to pass a three-week funding bill Friday, with Georgia Republicans Barry Loudermilk and Jody Hice objecting.

Loudermilk, of Cassville, and Hice, of Monroe, were among 52 Republicans who voted against a three-week bill to keep the department open. House leaders are now discussing an attempt to push through a one-week bill before the midnight shutdown, but it’s unclear if that would swing any votes.

The final vote was 203-224, as almost all House Democrats lined up against the short-term bill, insisting the House swallow the Senate-passed “clean” funding bill through September. House Republicans had tied DHS funding to blocking President Barack Obama’s immigration actions that could remove the threat of deportation for up to 5 million people now here illegally, setting up this showdown months ago.

But Democrats remained united against it. After the vote, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, said “we are at the precipice. We should do this now” rather than postpone things a week or three. In Democrats’ view, Republicans sooner or later will have to fund the department without immigration preconditions, especially since Senate Republicans have already caved.

via Jody Hice, Barry Loudermilk buck leaders, help sink short-term homeland security bill | Political Insider blog.