DHS Budget Showdown

[93henfan]

Its all political grandstanding John. It really is. In fact its the only thing they have.

And you always get it wrong John, every time. You see, I applaud the republicans for being willing to shut down the most useless of all the guvmint bureaucracies. Its way past time for these chickenshit conks to start walking their reduced spending talk; eliminating the DHS and the TSA would be an outstanding first step. Help them recover some of the tattered remnants of the credibility they haven't had in 40 years....

I see what you did there.

And as stated we don't need most of this government bloat. Let them shutdown and keep them that way.

Also good to see you in a chipper mood this time 93. Last shutdown you were freaking out thinking somehow you would be financially impacted by the "shutdown".

Well, if you consider a reduced paycheck to be financially impacted, then I was financially impacted by the 2013 furlough. I also just got an email saying that if we shut down Friday, we will stop receiving pay until the situation returns to normal. Thankfully I don't live paycheck to paycheck, but the furloughs, shutdowns, and the three year pay freeze certainly did impact folks in various ways.

[houndawg]

I see what you did there.

And as stated we don't need most of this government bloat. Let them shutdown and keep them that way.

Also good to see you in a chipper mood this time 93. Last shutdown you were freaking out thinking somehow you would be financially impacted by the "shutdown".

Well, if you consider a reduced paycheck to be financially impacted, then I was financially impacted by the 2013 furlough. I also just got an email saying that if we shut down Friday, we will stop receiving pay until the situation returns to normal. Thankfully I don't live paycheck to paycheck, but the furloughs, shutdowns, and the three year pay freeze certainly did impact folks in various ways.

Its always tough, but think of the millions of Americans who would love to have your problem.

[JohnStOnge]

Guys, the Congressional majority attempting to stop an Executive order it disagrees with by using the power of the purse is not political grandstanding. You can disagree with it because maybe you like the Executive order. But it's not political grandstanding. It's completely consistent with the way things were designed to work. They do not want what the President wants to do to happen. They are attempting to use the power of the purse to stop it.

It's llke saying the President saying he's going to veto the Keystone Pipeline thing is political grandstanding. It's not. He's using the veto power he has to try to stop something he disagrees with.

[JohnStOnge]

Frankly, "political grandstanding" is doing something like...say...blocking a bill to fund DHS because it doesn't fund some small portion that supports what the President wants to do then saying "THE REPUBLICANS WANT TO DEFUND HOMELAND SECURITY."

That's obviously not what the Republicans want to do. It is a lie and it's a lie told for political purposes. What the Republicans want is to stop the President from doing what he wants to do through Executive order and they're trying to use the power of the purse vested in Congress to do it.

But I heard someone quote some Republican about the situation today and think it was right on. Basically, the quote is something like this:

"If Republicans are in the minority and filibuster in the Senate to stop a funding bill, the Republicans get the blame. If the Democrats are in the minority and fillibuster in the Senate to stop a funding bill, the Republicans get the blame."

And he's right. It's not right, but that's the way it works.

[CID1990]

Actually, I would be fine with defunding DHS.

I'm not a Republican, but I'm a conservative, so if Republicans were like me the statement would be accurate.

I would not only defund DHS, I would disband it.

[93henfan]

Actually, I would be fine with defunding DHS.

I'm not a Republican, but I'm a conservative, so if Republicans were like me the statement would be accurate.

I would not only defund DHS, I would disband it.

I'd be OK with that too. DHS is a giant cluster fuck, and my particular component of DHS should probably be back with DOT or DoD anyway.

[93henfan]

Sounds like McConnell has offered to pull the immigration executive action canx clause out of the DHS funding vote if Dems will agree not to block a second vote on that issue exclusively.

Sounds like a shrewd move. Any lapse would squarely be blamed on Dems at that point, and isn't that all this Congress does anymore anyway? Blame who is responsible for fuckups?

[GannonFan]

Sounds like McConnell has offered to pull the immigration executive action canx clause out of the DHS funding vote if Dems will agree not to block a second vote on that issue exclusively.

Sounds like a shrewd move. Any lapse would squarely be blamed on Dems at that point, and isn't that all this Congress does anymore anyway? Blame who is responsible for ****?

Well, not just Congress, it's all politics do anymore it seems.

[houndawg]

Actually, I would be fine with defunding DHS.

I'm not a Republican, but I'm a conservative,so if Republicans were like me the statement would be accurate.

I would not only defund DHS, I would disband it.

TSA too.

[Grizalltheway]

TSA is a PITA, but I'd rather deal with them than people bringing bombs onto airplanes. Just sayin'.

[93henfan]

February 26, 2015

Dear Colleagues:

I write with the latest update on the efforts in Congress to pass an appropriations bill for our Department.

Yesterday the Senate agreed to proceed to debate on a clean appropriations bill, without any amendments to defund our executive actions. This is good news. We do not know when the Senate will actually vote on this bill and pass it over to the House. Nor do we know what will happen to the bill once it reaches the House, but bipartisan support in the House for a clean appropriations bill seems to be building. The timeline for these legislative actions is uncertain.

I remain optimistic that Congress will not let our funding lapse past midnight tomorrow night, though, as you know, we are planning and preparing for that possibility.

I continue to fight for our funding, and to inform the public and Congress about the consequences of a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Yesterday I spent much of the day on Capitol Hill. Yesterday we were also honored that former Secretaries Ridge and Chertoff stood with me at a press conference to urge passage of a clean appropriations bill for the Department. Today we hold another press conference with representatives of law enforcement from across the Nation, to highlight the impact to public safety if we do not have funding.

Stay tuned for further updates. Again, I remain optimistic.

Jeh Charles Johnson
Secretary of Homeland Security

[93henfan]

Thank you all for your concern.

[Chizzang]

TSA is a PITA, but I'd rather deal with them than people bringing bombs onto airplanes. Just sayin'.

The TSA does not need to be a government run agency
Airport security simply need be "overseen" and monitored by other government agencies that already exist

privatising the TSA would solve some HUGE problems
of which I could go on at length about but would get the TLDR response

Presently the TSA is the DMV DOT of the security services world
Bloated slow over funded already corrupt and stagnant

[Ibanez]

TSA is a PITA, but I'd rather deal with them than people bringing bombs onto airplanes. Just sayin'.

The TSA does not need to be a government run agency
Airport security simply need be "overseen" and monitored by other government agencies that already exist

privatising the TSA would solve some HUGE problems
of which I could go on at length about but would get the TLDR response

Presently the TSA is the DMV DOT of the security services world
Bloated slow over funded already corrupt and stagnant

I think we should privatize a lot of government functions, like the prison system.

[Grizalltheway]

TSA is a PITA, but I'd rather deal with them than people bringing bombs onto airplanes. Just sayin'.

The TSA does not need to be a government run agency
Airport security simply need be "overseen" and monitored by other government agencies that already exist

privatising the TSA would solve some HUGE problems
of which I could go on at length about but would get the TLDR response

Presently the TSA is the DMV DOT of the security services world
Bloated slow over funded already corrupt and stagnant

Yeah, nothing's ever gone wrong with private security outfits.

[Chizzang]

The TSA does not need to be a government run agency
Airport security simply need be "overseen" and monitored by other government agencies that already exist

privatising the TSA would solve some HUGE problems
of which I could go on at length about but would get the TLDR response

Presently the TSA is the DMV DOT of the security services world
Bloated slow over funded already corrupt and stagnant

Yeah, nothing's ever gone wrong with private security outfits.

I did not suggest that nothing could go wrong... nor is that even the point
You didn't even read my post did you

[Grizalltheway]

I don't think you really have a point, other than to adopt the standard conk PRIVATIZATION SOLVES EVERYTHING mantra.

[Wedgebuster]

Obama's got 20-20 and the House Repubs are wearing bifocals...

[dbackjon]

TSA is a PITA, but I'd rather deal with them than people bringing bombs onto airplanes. Just sayin'.

airport security really isn't that big of a deal. Those that bitch are just little wussies that expect everything handed to them, included a no-wait pass through any line.

Worst airport security experience I ever had was pre-9/11, the Monday after a NASCAR race in Phoenix. All the rednecks would take 10 minutes each getting through security, because they would forget about all the metal the were wearing - belt buckles, watches, coins, steel-toed boots, etc.

[dbackjon]

The TSA does not need to be a government run agency
Airport security simply need be "overseen" and monitored by other government agencies that already exist

privatising the TSA would solve some HUGE problems
of which I could go on at length about but would get the TLDR response

Presently the TSA is the DMV DOT of the security services world
Bloated slow over funded already corrupt and stagnant

I think we should privatize a lot of government functions, like the prison system.

Hell no. If anything, private prisons should be banned completely. There should be no profit in incarcerating prisoners.


And privatizing government services is fools gold - less accountability, more cost.

All privatizing that has gone on in the DoD should be reversed.

[Ibanez]

I think we should privatize a lot of government functions, like the prison system.

Hell no. If anything, private prisons should be banned completely. There should be no profit in incarcerating prisoners.


And privatizing government services is fools gold - less accountability, more cost.

All privatizing that has gone on in the DoD should be reversed.

That's right. You have all the answers. Perhaps you should get the resident Kingmaker to get you elected.

[dbackjon]

Hell no. If anything, private prisons should be banned completely. There should be no profit in incarcerating prisoners.


And privatizing government services is fools gold - less accountability, more cost.

All privatizing that has gone on in the DoD should be reversed.

That's right. You have all the answers. Perhaps you should get the resident Kingmaker to get you elected.

Yes, yes I do have all the answers. And that outfit you are wearing - really?

[Ibanez]

That's right. You have all the answers. Perhaps you should get the resident Kingmaker to get you elected.

Yes, yes I do have all the answers. And that outfit you are wearing - really?

What's wrong with a green button down and charcoal, pin stripe trousers?

[dbackjon]

Yes, yes I do have all the answers. And that outfit you are wearing - really?

What's wrong with a green button down and charcoal, pin stripe trousers?

If you have to ask...

[BDKJMU]

Actually, I would be fine with defunding DHS.

I'm not a Republican, but I'm a conservative,so if Republicans were like me the statement would be accurate.

I would not only defund DHS, I would disband it.

TSA too.

TSA is part of DHS. It's not separate.