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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

GOP fires opening salvo in fight over immigration

Boehner’s proposal won’t fund agencies

McConnell
Tribune New Service

WASHINGTON – Hoping to prevent a government shutdown by opponents of President Barack Obama’s immigration plan, House Speaker John A. Boehner floated a proposal Tuesday that would fund most of the government – but not the immigration agencies – through the end of the 2015 fiscal year.

The Republican leader insisted the plan remained a work in progress as leaders tried to round up support. It would fund the immigration agencies only until early next year, when Republicans believe they would have greater leverage to fight the president once their new GOP majority is seated in Congress.

To sweeten the deal for GOP hardliners, a separate measure condemning Obama’s go-it-alone executive action on immigration would be voted on in the House as soon as this week. But that bill would be largely symbolic since the Democratic-controlled Senate is likely to ignore it.

In many ways, Boehner’s move was the opening salvo in what is expected to be a long-running legislative fight to undo the president’s immigration executive action, which would protect up to 5 million immigrants – mostly parents of U.S. citizens.

A government shutdown or prolonged budget battle over immigration is something Republican leaders want to avoid after the party takes control of Congress in January. They would prefer to focus on the GOP’s broader agenda to scale back parts of the Affordable Care Act, cut taxes and bolster trade policy.

On immigration, Boehner and other GOP leaders say they will instead fight the president in the courts or attempt to rally public opinion against the plan.

But some GOP conservatives are demanding a stronger response. A few want to use the upcoming Dec. 11 deadline to pass a new government appropriations bill as leverage, which could provoke a shutdown. GOP leaders say another government shutdown should be off the table, fearing Republicans would be blamed by voters for such a move.

Whether the Ohio Republican can hold his troops to keep the government running remains to be seen.

After emerging from a closed-door meeting with lawmakers Tuesday, he sounded a cautionary note.

“Frankly, we have limited options,” Boehner said.