Boxer: GOP throwing ‘hissy fit’

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) on Tuesday slammed Republicans for the current budget crisis facing the Department of Homeland Security, arguing they are throwing a “hissy fight.”

“This is a self-inflicted crisis made up by the Republicans. It is dangerous. It is the height of irresponsibility, and it is unnecessary,” Boxer said during a floor speech. “How does it make sense in the very same week that terrorists are threatening our shopping malls that we would shut down the very agency charged with protecting those malls.”

{mosads}The California Democrat referred to a call by terrorist group al-Shabab for attacks at malls across the U.S., including the Mall of America in Minnesota.

Boxer, like other Senate Democrats, wants a “clean” funding bill for the department, which runs out of money on Friday. The current funding fight centers on a Republican push to use the spending bill to reverse President Obama’s actions on immigration.

“They’re throwing a hissy fit because the president stepped in and has a policy to take care of immigration. And why did the president step in? Because Republicans refused to take up a bipartisan bill and pass it and take care of the immigration problem,” Boxer said.

Senate Democrats have blocked the legislation, already approved by the House, from moving forward four times, and Senate Republicans don’t have the 60 votes necessary to overcome the filibuster.  

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that he would fast-track a separate immigration bill that would seek to reverse Obama’s 2014 immigration actions. He suggested that it could signal a way out of the current funding stalemate.