Republicans took a licking last time they tried to defund President Obama's immigration actions through the Department of Homeland Security and the GOP leadership appears to have no interest in treading that path again,
reports Seung Min Kim.
Better to let the issue play out in the courts, the GOP reasoning goes, especially since a judge has already halted the president’s November executive actions — at least for now.
“The avenue that we took last time was a losing battle, and we knew it was a losing battle going into it,” said Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), the man writing this year’s DHS funding bill. “There might be other things we can figure out. We’re putting our heads together on that — but it won’t be what we did last time because what we did last time won’t win.”
They knew it was a losing battle going in, eh? Genius. Anyway, at least leadership isn't up for a repeat in the House, even as their firebrands continue to clamor for a fight. On the Senate side, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is experiencing some of his own "hindsight, 20/20" syndrome.
During a recent interview with POLITICO, McConnell suggested that in retrospect, he would have ended the DHS fight more quickly after seeing it would be a losing battle. He also stressed that Republicans would ultimately have to stake out some middle ground on government funding.
“What will happen is the bills will start out the way we like them. In order to move them, we’ll probably have to make compromises,” McConnell said, referring to the dozen of appropriations bills funding the federal government. “That’s the way the legislative process works when it’s functioning.”
Good God, Mitch. Could you give us a little warning next time you're about to start throwing around a word like "compromise"?
But really, could it be that Republicans are finally wrapping their minds around the fact that threatening to shut down the government and destroy the U.S. credit rating every few months isn't accomplishing anything? It sounds preposterous, for sure. But maybe, just maybe, the reality of actually governing rather merely obstructing is settling in. Or maybe this is just a fluke.