I'm confused about this DHS thing

[Bluzmann57]

The repukes want to cut funding for the DHS, which (allegedly) protects us from bad guys because they want more security on the southern border of the USA? Will someone please explain this to me? Or is it just too bizarre and crazy to explain? I'm opting for the latter.

[bravenak]

1. They have no idea either.

Just stupid is my best guess.

[onecaliberal]

2. The only thing they hate more than Obama is letting

Brown people into the country and giving them citizenship. Because of the republican failure to address immigration reform they are mad that POTUS did something.

[Still Sensible]

7. Actually, I think the only thing they hate more than

undocumented immigrants is President Obama.

[onecaliberal]

14. You might be right.

They are willing to put everything and everyone at risk because of their hate.

[quakerboy]

3. What has me confused

is that I am supposed to be upset that there are issues at the very Reich sounding Department of Homeland Security.

also.. how they expect people to keep working if they are not being paid. How can that be legal?

[ManiacJoe]

6. Legal because the unpaid hours get paid later

after the budget is approved. For example, $0 paid for n months during the politics then $2x paid for n months after the budget passes.

[quakerboy]

8. Are you sure about that

I believe it was stated on NPR that they would only get back pay if congress specifically approves it after the fact.

But even if it is not, I am under the impression that DHS employees are some of the lowest paid government employees, and that many of the workers effected by this are in the 35k range. My observation is most people in that range don't have the reserves or savings to keep making rent or car payments if they stop having income for any considerable length of time.

[ManiacJoe]

16. Certainly will not bet my life on it.

One would need to see the employment contracts to know for sure.

In general, the laws say that if you work the time you need to be paid for it, eventually. Of course, Congress has a long history of exempting the government from its own laws.

[Proud Public Servant]

4. I can help, sure

The GOP doesn't want to cut DHS funding. That's a mis-impression.

What the GOP wants to do is pass a funding bill that contains full funding, but prohibits any funds in it from being used to enable President Obama's executive order on immigration.

The problem is that they don't have enough votes to do that, but the House doesn't have the decency to hand Democrats a victory, voting on a clean funding bill and then voting separately on a bill to deny funding to the executive order (the Senate, FWIW, has faced reality and is willing to go that route).

So since the Boehner can't or won't do anything -- can't pass the teahadist restrictions, won't bring a clean bill to a vote -- we're stuck with the current follies, kicking the can 7 days down the road and doing this all again next week.

God bless America.

[spanone]

5. they just hate Obama so much, they oppose anything that would advance anything

that he's involved with, even if it's his presidential duties.

it is just too bizarre and crazy to explain. it's fucking absurd.

[madokie]

13. The only brown people republic'CONs like

are the ones who they can hire for 5 bucks or so a day. Lets be clear about this, if they give amnesty to the ones here and put them on the books above board their pool of wage slaves is gone. Simple as that.

I'm ashamed to be an old white man because of the way so many of us are treating our President. I really thought that we had crossed that bridge but boy was I wrong. The racist started coming out of the wood work as soon as it looked like Obama was going to win the election back in '08. People who I thought were past that just floored me on just how racist and mean they really are. Meaner than a junk yard dog is a pretty good description of so many of them.

The rich old white people want to take advantage of the people, who when it comes right down to it, only want a better piece of the pie, not necessarily a bigger piece just a sliver will do because they have gardens that need tending, pools to keep clean, houses that need a cleaning. If you'll notice its not that our brothers and sisters who come here wanting what America used to offer and promise being hired in our big corporations work force rather they're being hired as work/wage slaves in the domestic sector.
Us old democratic voters need to stand up and put a stop to this bullshit. We can do better.

[B Calm]

9. Even though the president's executive order on immigration is in the courts, the cons

still want to draw even more attention to their made up crisis. If they were serious on immigration they would pass a bill, but with this stupid bunch of cons it's either their way or the highway and that's why they can't pass bills that will clear both houses.

[CJCRANE]

10. Confused? You won't be...

[Stellar]

17. I forgot how funny Soap was.

with Billy Crystal playing the part of the gay character, Billy was too funny!

[B Calm]

11. K&R

[madville]

12. They don't want to cut funding to 99.99% of DHS

They want to roll back the President's immigration actions by not funding those specific actions, which have currently been suspended by a federal court anyway.

[surrealAmerican]

15. They're holding it for ransom ...

... but they somehow didn't notice that it's their own baby they've kidnapped.