By Michelle Seiler-Tucker, Special for USDR
The notion that Congress might actually shut down the Department of Homeland Security as part of a broader fight over President Obama’s immigration policies seemed ridiculous just a few weeks ago, but the current standoff in Congress could force the Department of Homeland Security to shut down this week. With just days remaining until funding for the Homeland Security agency runs out, it’s looking more and more like reality. Late last year, Congress approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill that would support Homeland Security only until this month’s end in order to repeal and work against stopping President Obama’s executive action that aims to legally protect immigrants from being deported. All the money being used to support his decision though falls under Homeland Security.
So, does this feel like déjà vu? Once again government officials—specifically Homeland Security officials are preparing for another worst-case situation. The House Speaker is prepared to lapse finances for the agency if the Senate cannot pass the spending bill sent from the House a month ago. If the agency shuts down then about 30,000 people would be cut from work, while the essential people from within the department would be required to work for free—that means that airport security, border patrol, and types of law enforcement officials as well as the Coast Guard would still be required to report to work.
This is why the government needs to be run like a business! This whole situation would never have escalated to this point. Our government has reached a breaking point. As the leading authority on buying, selling, and improving businesses I must always qualify interested buyers of my listings. There is no way to print money or grow it on trees. If they don’t have the cash they cannot have the business! President Obama’s executive order was foolish. If it passes not only will it be a costly add on to our nation deficit, but it ultimately places foreigners ahead of US citizens—just look at the loophole in Obamacare that exempts employers from paying healthcare costs on immigrants (not citizens so they do not qualify) if they were to be employed. It will be cheaper and more desirable for employers to hire foreigners over US tax paying citizens.
The differing perspectives is that Republicans argue that letting funds run dry, while stressful to our nation, is a worthwhile cause in order to protect the constitution. In contrast, Democrats say they will not support a bill that contains no immigration-related amendments. There does need to be amendments of some sort, but that issue cannot be solved in a week! Congress was working on it, but Obama had to make an executive order, and now the nation will suffer because of his foolishness. Lastly, this whole fiasco comes with bad timing, since the Department of Homeland Security is already facing struggles in how to properly deal with ISIS, threats to US malls, etc. Oh, and not to mention Obama’s most recent efforts to be granted newfound war authorities in the fight against ISIS—an authority of the same nature that he opposed with Bush shortly after 9/11—and the same idea that got him ahead in the polls in the 2008 election.
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