The Hill - Dems Try to Bring up Clean DHS Bill Again

News Article

By Christina Marcos

House Democrats tried again to bring up a clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill for a vote on Thursday, without success.

More than 20 House Democrats lined up all the way to the back of the chamber to make unanimous consent requests to immediately consider a DHS funding bill without provisions attached to revoke President Obama's executive actions on immigration.

But Republicans repeatedly rejected the requests, made one after another.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) made the first unanimous consent request on behalf of Democrats.

"I ask unanimous consent that House bring H.R. 861, the clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would keep the department open, so it can carry out its mission of keeping the American people safe," Aguilar said.

Funding for DHS will expire Friday at midnight unless Congress can pass a bill before the deadline. It remains unclear when the Senate will send a clean bill to the House -- and if the House would even vote on it.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who was managing debate for Republicans on the rule for considering amendments to a No Child Left Behind legislative overhaul, rejected the unanimous consent requests.

"I do not," Foxx said when asked by the presiding officer if she wanted to yield for the purpose of considering the requests.

Democrats previously lined up to repeatedly attempt to bring up the clean DHS bill on Wednesday, but were similarly rejected.

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