The White House is accusing Republicans intent on stopping President Obama’s executive amnesty as “essentially” voting for amnesty. “This vote is bad policy. It is essentially a vote for amnesty. It is also bad politics,” the White House spokesman told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“House Republicans … are mucking around with DHS funding just weeks before the funding deadline. There’s never a good time to muck around with the funding of the department of homeland security, but given the events of the last week, this seems like a particularly bad time to do so,” Earnest added, according to the White House pool report.
Earnest is referring to this vote, held earlier today in the House of Representatives:
UPDATE: Here’s Earnest’s full remarks:
“I want to mention one other thing that’s happening back in Washington before I take your questions. Earlier today, House Republicans voted in protest over the President’s executive action to reform our broken immigrations system.
“The President’s reform plan would bring accountability to our broken immigration system. It would give those with strong ties to this country the chance to come out of the shadows, get right with the law, submit to a background check, and pay taxes. The President’s plan would also focus law enforcement resources on felons and others who pose a threat to public safety.
“If Republicans were to get their way, these individuals, including DREAMers who came to America through no fault of their own, would either be pushed back into the shadows, free of any accountability, or deported at great expense to taxpayers and at the expense of a concentrated effort to deport criminals. This vote is bad policy. It’s essentially a vote for amnesty. It’s also bad politics.
“And that’s why this must pass — the Homeland Security bill is, according to most educated observers, highly unlikely to pass the United States Senate. So this means that House Republicans, just to prove a point — a point that at least one other Republican called mean-spirited — are mucking around with DHS funding legislation just weeks before the funding deadline. Now, as I mentioned earlier this week, there’s never a good time to muck around with the funding of the Department of Homeland Security. But given the events of the last week, this seems like a particularly bad time to do so.”
