WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama convened a meeting with key administration officials on Friday evening to prepare for an expected shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security after the House rejected a bill in the afternoon to fund the department.
“Upon return from the Department of Justice, the President convened a meeting in the Oval Office with Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, OMB Director Shaun Donovan and members of his senior team to discuss the impending deadline for funding the Department of Homeland Security,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement. “The President then called Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to get an update on efforts to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security does not shut down.”
Homeland Security funding expires at midnight on Friday.
DHS released a memo detailing its procedures for a shutdown.
Maybe they could transfer funds from another dept to DHS?
A little unexpected 10 pm live statement from the White House from the President imploring Republicans not to shut down DHS and jeopardize the country’s security might be nice. Just saying.
I suspect that has to be voted on by Congress, too.
Good luck with that happening.
Maybe W should be the one to implore the Rethugs not to shut down the agency he created. Just sayin’.
Until further notice: