With a U.S. Department of Homeland Security shutdown looming, the Senate passed a bill on Friday to finance the agency and will send the legislation to the House of Representatives for approval, according to Ashley Parker of the New York Times.
The bill, which removed earlier restrictions on President Obama's action on immigration, passed through the Senate easily by way of a 68-31 vote.
According to USA Today, the bill would ensure funding for the department through Sept. 30.
Meanwhile, Parker reports that Democrats blocked a separate bill aiming to undo the executive actions taken by the President and that Republicans in the House hope to vote on a counterproposal that would provide money to the DHS for the next three weeks in order to give them more time to fight the President's immigration orders.
Nonetheless, a short-term solution would only prolong the issue. "I think we're just pushing the pain until later," said Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin criticized the GOP, claiming that "virtually every president since Eisenhower has issued an executive order relative to immigration" and that "it's only when Barack Obama does it that they scream and rage that it's unconstitutional."
Earlier this week, TravelPulse's Rich Thomaselli detailed what a DHS shutdown would mean for air travelers. Essentially, if funding for the agency does indeed run out, about 15 percent of the 230,000 employees, roughly 30,000 workers, would be furloughed while others would be required to work and fill the vacant roles without pay.
Immediately, that could mean longer waits at security checkpoints, yet the long-term repercussions would remain to be seen.
"There are consequences if we have to exist on...another continuing resolution past Friday night," said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson this week. "There are huge drawbacks to that. And so we need-on behalf of the American public-a fully funded Department of Homeland Security."
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