Cusack: McConnell ‘Really Doesn’t’ Want to Be Talking About DHS

The Hill Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “really doesn’t want to be talking about” DHS funding on Tuesday’s “Happening Now” on the Fox News Channel.

“Democrats in the Senate who were up for re-election many of whom lost, they said to the president, ‘don’t do this until after the election.’ And they weren’t the only ones, the ones who lost, who said ‘hold off on this. We’re not fans of this action, of you doing this unilaterally without Congressional consent.’ So, that’s the Republican strategy here, is take it away from the funding mechanism, have a separate vote that has nothing do with funding and put these Democrats on the record. But, at least for the moment the Democrats are sticking together and that’s the strategy for Democrats, divide the Republicans on this issue. And Mitch McConnell, the new Majority Leader, he really doesn’t want to be talking about this. He wants to be talking about the Keystone Pipeline, he wants to be talking about tax reform, he wants to be talking about trade. He does not want a DHS shutdown.”

Earlier, Cusack said the president “knows this issue divides Republicans and a lot of ways, it divides Senate Republicans and House Republicans. If you talk to Republican Senators they say DHS is not going to shut down one way or the other, we’ll get a deal, but if you talk to House Republicans they say the chances are anywhere from 60 to 90% that there is going to be some type of DHS shutdown. So, the Tea Party really wants to make a stand on this constitutional issue. They say and note that the president said he couldn’t do what he did on immigration 22 times before he did it, but clearly President Obama has the leverage here and he’s using it this week.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett