Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) demanded an amendment vote on the government funding bill, despite it risking a shutdown.
Sessions has been blocking an up-or-down vote the $1.1 trillion “cromnibus,” which would fund most of the government through September. House Republicans only funded the Department of Homeland Security through February as protest to President Obama’s executive order on immigration.
{mosads}The House passed the bill Thursday night and left town for the year, meaning the Senate has to pass the bill as is to prevent a government shutdown.
But Sessions said the House Republicans didn’t go far enough. He wants to add an amendment that would prevent the president from using any federal funds to issue worker visas to nearly 5 million immigrants.
“I just want to have an amendment that funds the government … but just says to the president we don’t authorize any funding for this project,” Sessions said on the Senate floor Friday. “We don’t have to fund everything the president asks for.”
Some Democrats also have complaints about the bill — particularly Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who opposes a GOP rider that repeals part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was forced to file cloture on the House measure because of the objections. That sets up a procedural vote for Sunday, but government funding expires Saturday night.
He said he hopes senators on both sides agree to vote on the cromnibus Friday night.