Jon Stewart mocks the GOP's Homeland Security funding debacle

Jon Stewart mocks GOP dysfunction in Congress

(Image credit: The Daily Show)

published 3 March 2015

When Democrats controlled the Senate and Republicans ruled the House, Washington was mired in gridlock, Jon Stewart said on Monday night's Daily Show. But when the GOP took the reins in the Senate, Republicans were supposed to get stuff done. Stewart even made up a promising buddy cop show starring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner to illustrate this new era of GOP congressional action.

But of course, Republicans flailed in their first big standoff with President Obama, trying to tie funding for the Department of Homeland Security to overturning Obama's executive orders on immigration. And Stewart was happy to dance on their flub, both substantively — "To stop the president from being too lenient on illegal immigration, you want to defund the department that secures the border?" he asked incredulously — and politically. McConnell came up with a workable compromise, but the House GOP said no, showing who's been clogging up Washington's plumbing for the past four years, Stewart said. "Turns out, no one can work with the Republican House. They're the Keith Olbermann of Congresses." It gets worse for Boehner. Watch below. —Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

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.