McConnell proposes 'clean' Homeland Security bill, separate immigration bill

Mitch McConnell is throwing in the towel on funding Homeland Security

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

published 24 February 2015

After the Senate failed to pass a Homeland Security Department funding bill on Monday night, amid Democratic opposition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signaled a change in tactic. His new plan, he said late Monday, is to have the Senate vote on a separate bill that would block President Obama's immigration plan, allowing a "clean" DHS bill to pass the Senate while allowing Republicans to still vote on the immigration measure. It's unclear if House Republicans — who passed a DHS bill with the immigration language attached — will go along with the plan. The Homeland Security Department runs out of money in four days.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.