Feb 11, 2015 2 min read

When a bipartisan agreement to fund most federal government operations for the remainder of the fiscal year was reached only at the eleventh hour last year, the seeds were sown for trouble to be on the immediate horizon through the Republicans’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security beyond Feb. 27, in an effort to continue the fight against President Obama’s executive order which is intended to enable millions of illegal immigrants to remain in the country for some period of time with immunity from prosecution or deportation.

Placing our country on the precipice of additional danger through withholding funding for a vital department is perhaps even worse than senselessly subjecting the country to a government shutdown or placing it on the verge of a default by refusing to increase the debt ceiling.

 Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has pleaded with Congress not to play politics with his agency’s budget and has noted that the layoffs of tens of thousands of workers will be imminent if funding is not provided soon.

Our world seemingly becomes a more dangerous place every day. To deny funding for the organization which seeks to keep us safe is not an option. Dithering with the budget of the agency is a fool’s errand and responsibility for it will lit with the Republicans if any damage ensues.

If he is looking at the matter through a purely political lens, President Obama has to be pleased with what he sees developing. Is the GOP going to allow itself to be swallowed by the hole it has dug? Based on past practice, it would not surprise me. Stay tuned!

Oren M. Spiegler

Upper Saint Clair