While the Senate "moderates" are trying to get a commitment from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a vote on immigration, the House Freedom Caucus is loudly and actively undermining any attempt at negotiation. While McConnell is making vague noises about "an amendment process that is fair to all sides," Republicans are making sure he doesn't commit to anything.
House conservatives were also watching McConnell’s speech closely. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) was hanging around the Senate on Sunday night, intercepting McConnell and talking with reporters.
After McConnell’s speech on the Senate floor announcing his intention to bring up DACA legislation, Meadows noted that McConnell had not specified exactly what kind of DACA bill he’d bring up.
“He didn’t make a commitment to one bill or another, which is a good sign,” Meadows told HuffPost.
Furthermore, Meadows insists he's got House Speaker Paul Ryan under his control. He says Ryan has promised him that the House will not be involved in "any commitment" that McConnell might make on immigration in the Senate in order to reopen the government. McConnell's also got a bit of a problem with his not-very-bright, big-mouthed number two, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) who yesterday was tweeting out a link to an article in which he is prominently featured shooting down any potential deal.
So who really is in charge here? The occupier of the Oval Office has been missing in action, letting his hardliners take over. Chief of Staff John Kelly and adviser Stephen Miller and even Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) seem to be calling all the shots there. The Freedom Caucus has an iron grip on Ryan, and now by extension McConnell. To make matters worse, one of their own is in charge of the whole shutdown. Mick Mulvaney went from founder of the maniac caucus to Office of Management and Budget Director, and he's frankly giddy that he gets to be in charge of all this.
It's hard to conclude anything other than the people least capable and least interested in governing—the Freedom Caucus maniacs—are at the helm.