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House Speaker John A. Boehner, already under fire from unruly conservatives, is facing another agonizing choice over funding the Department of Homeland Security after Democrats thwarted his plans once again Monday.

Senate Democrats, as expected, blocked a House-passed bill to form a conference committee to work out the differences over competing DHS-funding measures. The move, coming ahead of a Friday-into-Saturday shutdown deadline, put the ball back in Boehners court just days after his stopgap proposal was stunningly defeated amid a right-wing revolt.

Its unclear what happens next. Boehner (R-Ohio) is under intense pressure from a small but vocal coterie of rank-and-file Republicans itching to use the DHS debate to fight President Obama on immigration. Dozens of hard-line conservatives voted against Boehners three-week funding bill last week, raising a fresh round of questions about whether he could face a long-shot attempt to dislodge him as speaker.

At the same time, Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are already struggling to show that the Republican majorities in both houses can govern, so they can hardly afford worries about a shutdown to linger.

Exiting Boehners office Monday afternoon, House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Tex.) suggested that the speaker had devised a course of action, but he would not reveal specifics.

The speaker is going to offer his advice and options and what hes thinking, said Sessions. Asked about the late Friday deadline, Sessions said: I think well act well before then.

Democrats called on Boehner to hold a House vote on a Senate-passed bill that would fund DHS for the remainder of the fiscal year and that would not affect Obamas executive actions on immigration.

But Boehner and his allies did not commit to doing that.

We are disappointed that Senate Democrats have once again rejected regular order. Now, we will talk with House Republican Members about the way forward, Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in an e-mail.

Few issues have animated the conservative base like Obamas immigration actions, leaving Boehner in a tough spot. A combination of frustration over the substance of Obamas directives, which include stemming the deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants, and anger over how they were carried out executive maneuvers that conservatives say overstepped Obamas authority has been swirling on the right for months.

Read more from the original source:
Boehner on the firing line again after Democrats block bill to fund DHS

And a number of top Democrats including Vice President Joe Biden, whose job description includes the title President of the Senate won't be attending.

READ: Tensions rise between Obama, Netanyahu

Netanyahu is expected to use the speech to sharply criticize the White House's efforts to negotiate a deal on Iran's nuclear program and to urge Congress to pass new sanctions on the nation, a position that puts him sharply at odds with the president. On Tuesday, National Security Adviser Susan Rice said Netanyahu's decision to speak was "destructive to the fabric of the relationship" between Israel and the U.S.

The expected substance of the speech, coupled with the fact that the White House was not alerted to the invite ahead of time, has Democrats crying foul.

Related: White House gets confrontational before Netanyahu visit

At least 45 Democratic House members and eight Democratic senators have said in recent weeks they're not going to the speech, many in protest to a move that they say is an affront to the president.

Many more have said they're undecided on whether to attend, and more defections could emerge in the coming days. A full list of the Democrats who have confirmed they're missing the speech follows:

SENATE - 8 members

Sen. Al Franken (Minn.)

Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.)

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53 Democrats skipping Netanyahu's speech

President Obama talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July 2014 as they walk to Netanyahus car outside the Oval Office. Not gonna happen on this trip. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahus speech Tuesday before a joint session of Congress has Democrats divided onwhether to attend.

As of Monday afternoon, you wont see somethree dozen House members and perhaps ahalf-dozen senators all Democrats attending the controversial speech, which was arranged by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Netanyahu without consultation with the White House.

In addition to feeling sandbagged, the White House objects to thetiming of the speech just two weeks before Israels national elections and in the midst of negotiations over Irans nuclear program.

Speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he did not intend upcoming address to Congress to be divisive or disrespectful to President Obama. (AP)

Many Democrats and some Republicans nonetheless feel obligedto attend especially because they dont want to be seen as disrespectful to the Israeli P.M. or to Israel.

But keen political observers know that you cant paintall Democratic attendees with the same brush. There are always subtleties involvedand, in this case, there areseveralcategories of attendance to look for.

So, here is what to look for:

1. Going but not clapping andlooking glum (or miserable). Kind of like the NYPD and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio.

2. Going but just not clapping.

Read more:
In the Loop: What to look for from Democrats during Bibis speech Tuesday

Just dont call it a deal.

House Democrats on Monday said they expect Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to bring a clean Homeland Security bill to the floor this week, effectively ending the fight over funding for President Obamas executive actions on immigration.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), the House Democratic whip, said he is confident that a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September will soon reach the floor.

Pressed by reporters, Hoyer refused to say whether Boehner had promised a vote on the clean bill in exchange for the Democratic votes that averted a partial government shutdown on Friday night.

Why do you think the Democrats voted for a one-week [bill] when we just, almost in a united fashion, voted against a three-week [bill]? he said.

Speculation about a deal has been running rampant since Democrats made the surprise move to back legislation funding the DHS for one week after insisting that short-term bills were unacceptable.

Their reversal had many people believing an agreement was struck, despite repeated denials from GOP leaders and their aides.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) suggested Friday that she had been given assurances the House would vote on a clean bill to fund the department without provisions on immigration.

Your vote tonight will assure that we will vote for full funding next week, she wrote in a letter to the House Democratic Caucus.

Asked Monday why Boehner is denying there was an agreement, Pelosi played coy.

Read the rest here:
Deal or not, Dems expect Boehner to cave

Alcee Hastings Disgraces Himself Florida and Democrats
How a grown man can behave in such an immature and disgraceful manner in public is beyond me. There is definitely bad blood between these two congressmen.

By: DailyWorldwideNews

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Alcee Hastings Disgraces Himself Florida and Democrats - Video