NEW YORK – Hours before the House of Representatives approved this Wednesday a resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)the White House circulated a memo instructing Republicans to approve the measure.
According to the Associated Press report, the document sent by President Donald Trump and his team stated that, in view of the emergency at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner last Saturdayfinancing had to be given way quickly.
“Restoring funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has never been more urgentas recent events demonstrate,” reads part of the memo cited by the media.
“Department of Homeland Security will soon run out of essential operating fundswhich will put the deepest and fundamental operations at risk,” adds the text from the Office of Management and Budget (OMP).
Cole Tomas Allen, armed with guns and knives, was subdued by the Secret Service when he tried to break into the dinner hosted by Trump, the vice president and other top officials. The suspect, originally from California, fired his shotgun without hitting anyone.
Allen was accused of attempting to assassinate the president of the United States.
Yesterday, the Republicans in the Lower House advanced with a measure that lays the foundation for fully funding DHS. In other words, it activates the process to approve a bill of greater scope.
The POLITICO report notes that Republicans managed to use special budget authority to advance a proposal of up to $75 billion dollars that Democrats refuse to support unless changes are guaranteed in the intervention protocols of immigration agents.
Republicans unblocked the first step for financing, after a five-hour vote.
The resolution directs committees that oversee ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and Border Patrol (CBP) to draft legislation to allocate more than $70,000 million to these agencies.
The day was marked by an intense debate in which Lawmakers sought concessions from House Speaker Mike Johnson related to the Farm Bill.
The CBS report highlights that approval of the budget plan simply allows lawmakers to begin work on drafting legislation to fund the agencies, which both chambers must subsequently approve.
The big question is whether the majority leaders will try to approve today through an expedited process the bill that was approved in the Senate to finance the rest of the DHS, highlights POLITICO.
The Lower House is likely to hear it this Thursday.
In an interview on Newsmax, Johnson alleged that Democrats do not want to help fund DHS.
“There is no time to waste. We have to do it immediately. I have had conversations with Democrats… and they are reluctant to help. They have the Trump obsession syndrome at its finest,” said the Republican leader.
He argued that the Democrats’ irresponsibility is now visible to the entire country.
The DHS shutdown is, at the moment, the longest in history, as it has lasted for two months, longer than the standard one that began in October and lasted for 43 days.
Keep reading:
- “Pesticides” delay approval of the Farm Bill in the House, where the transition to SNAP in Puerto Rico is also being evaluated
- Congress conditions DHS funds and criticizes White House ballroom
- US Senate approves funding for DHS agencies, except ICE