Rep. Peter King slams his party's right wing over delay on Homeland Security funds

http://www.newsday.com ^ | February 27, 2015 | By TOM BRUNE

[Maelstorm]

Long Island's Rep. Peter King said Friday he had run out of patience with the House Republicans who are bent on defunding the Homeland Security Department to protest President Barack Obama's immigration executive orders.

"It's wrong politically because we'll be blamed for shutting down the department," said King (R-Seaford). "It's wrong morally because we are putting American lives at risk to satisfy a political imperative."

That cliff -- the expiration of funds for DHS as of midnight Friday night -- was avoided with Congress' late action. But it was just hours away when 52 conservative Republicans and 172 Democrats voted down a GOP plan for a three-week extension of DHS funding late in the afternoon.

King made his comments before Congress passed a one-week bill late last night to avert a partial shutdown of the Homeland Security Department.

King said he tweeted Friday a reprise of his even blunter remarks at a closed House GOP caucus meeting late Thursday: "I've had it with this self-righteous delusional wing of the party that leads us over the cliff."

King and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) voted for the extension -- King to keep DHS open and Zeldin to give more time to reach a deal on immigration. Democratic Reps. Steve Israel of Huntington, Kathleen Rice of Garden City and Gregory Meeks of St. Albans voted no.

Israel said DHS can't operate on three-week increments of funding: "The Senate Republican leader and House Democrats agree on one year of funding. House Republicans should quit playing games and pass it."The plan by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) for stopgap funding ran into stiff opposition from members such as Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), who tweeted: "I won't cave & support funding for Obama's unconstitutional #amnesty"

[Oldeconomybuyer]

... we'll be blamed for shutting down the department ...

Man up, loser. You are either for Amnesty or against it. Funding is the most powerful constitutional weapon of The House. Use it.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Peter King is another Democrat in an R jersey.

Unfortunately, they make up a majority of the GOP officeholders in Congress.

[urbanpovertylawcenter]

With Obama’s open border let everyone who wants in policy, we have no “Homeland.”

Which makes the Department of Homeland Security just another giant government make work program for the barely employable democrat voter base.

When will we see the department of taxpayer security?

Never.

[SaraJohnson]

Do they speak for their voters or their corporate funders and globalist paymasters? I know the answer.

[Maelstorm]

Sara you have that right. I worked at DHS/CBP. The truth is there is a lot of money involved in DHS and honestly a lot of it is just wasted and has little value to real national security but individuals like King have their ears tuned to big government contractors. My belief is the dollar focus should be on the borders and ports and much of the rest should be gutted because the return on investment is miniscule. Much of what is centered in DC is a make work program for elitist progressives who largely dominate the area. I’m not saying they are all bad and I can’t blame them for wanting 6 figure incomes and to feel important but in the end Tax payers are getting fleeced.

[SaraJohnson]

I’m not saying they are all bad and I can’t blame them for wanting 6 figure incomes and to feel important but in the end Tax payers are getting fleeced.

---

Our constitution is getting fleeced, too. In the meantime, the borders are wide open for whatever kook and whatever WMD care to cross over into our country.