Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally admitted Tuesday what everyone with a pulse has known for three weeks: the Senate is "
stuck" on the bill to fund Homeland Security, unable to find the 60 votes to move it forward due to its anti-immigrant provisions.
"I think it's clear we can't go forward in the Senate ... and so the next move obviously is up to the House."
That leaves the ball in Speaker John Boehner's court. All he has to do now is face down the House GOP's crazy caucus — ya know, Rep. Steve King and his 24 besties, all of whom
refused to back Boehner for Speaker. Should be a cinch.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out Feb. 27.
1:29 PM PT: UPDATE: Looks like the Republican's treasured anti-immigrant riders to the Homeland Security funding bill have a steep price tag.
Immigration riders attached to the Homeland Security spending bill by the House GOP turn out to actually widen the budget deficit over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. As a result, the $39.7 billion measure will need a supermajority of 60 votes under Senate budget rules, even if Republicans get past the Democratic filibuster.
Politico reports that the CBO estimate didn't even take into account the cost of deporting all the undocumented immigrants who could get relief from deportation under President Obama's most recent order.
That could be upward of $20 billion to $25 billion, according to the best estimates collected by POLITICO.
Looks like House Republicans are all about decreasing deficits, except for when it comes to immigration. Targeting the undocumented is clearly worth the price to Republicans.