Congress sends Biden temporary funding bill to avert government shutdown

Geoff Bennett:

Congress has avoided a partial federal government shutdown with just one day to spare. The temporary funding bill passed with strong bipartisan support. But a long-term fix and tougher debates remain, including over Ukraine funding and border security.

Lisa Desjardins is here to explain what it all means.

So, Lisa, sign of the times.

Lisa Desjardins:

Right.

Geoff Bennett:

Congress makes headlines just for doing its job and keeping the government funded.

(Laughter)

Geoff Bennett:

How'd they do it?

Lisa Desjardins:

Temporarily doing their jobs, I remind you.

Geoff Bennett:

Temporarily, right.

Lisa Desjardins:

Well, this passed overwhelmingly first in the Senate and then overwhelmingly in the House in a matter of hours. Why? Because a snowstorm is coming, approaching Washington, D.C., and, to be honest, lawmakers want to get out of town.

But it is a sign of success for the new speaker, Mike Johnson, threading a needle here, passing bipartisan bills that were important, despite opposition from conservatives in his party. So, government will not shut down, at least not this month. This moves deadlines back to March, when we are very likely to be speaking about this again.

But, meanwhile, as you said, there are still pressing concerns right now urgently over Ukraine funding and also over border security. Now, I can report that the border security team says they're closing in on a deal. But those two issues are now linked. They're trying to put text together, not only for border security details, but the amount of money for Ukraine.

Senator Chris Murphy, who's one of the negotiators, spoke about this complicated maneuver.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT):

So we have to land two planes at once. One is the conversation we're having about changes in our border policy.

The other is the dollar amounts for the supplemental. And it's possible that that could be ready for next week, but there's still work to do.

Lisa Desjardins:

Still work to do. We're going to be watching this closely. We will see if we get text this weekend or not.

Geoff Bennett:

Meantime, House Republicans are working quickly to advance impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Where does that all stand?

Lisa Desjardins:

There was an emotional hearing today that House Republicans held in the House Homeland Security Committee. It's significant, because it is probably the last hearing on this issue before they moved to articles of impeachment.

They asked Secretary Mayorkas to appear. He said he had scheduling conflicts because a delegation from Mexico is coming. They say he tried to reschedule, but that the House Republicans didn't respond. Now, in that hearing, the House members laid out Republicans, laid out their case that they think Secretary Mayorkas should in fact be impeached.

Here's the chairman of the committee, Mark Green.

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN):

This is not a policy difference. The truth is, Secretary Mayorkas has disregarded court orders, laws passed by the United States Congress and has lied to the American people.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, of course, Mayorkas and Democrats decry that. They say that that is misinformation, in their words.

The lie that he — that Republicans are talking about, they say, when Secretary Mayorkas said the border is under operational control, they say that's a lie. The secretary says you have to have a reasonable standard. He also says he needs more resources. They're doing more than they have ever done before in terms of larger numbers of deporting people that we have ever seen, more fentanyl seizures than we have ever seen.

But Republicans brought a series of witnesses today that were emotional, one mother, for example, whose daughter was killed by an undocumented immigrant, MS-13 member, another mother whose daughter died from a fentanyl overdose.

Now, Democrats responded with sympathy, of course. These were very strong, tragic and powerful stories, but they said we're not sure that really has to do with the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.

Here's one of the members of Congress.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX):

You brought them here, unfortunately, where our solutions may not be the solutions that they seek, under the false pretense that impeaching Secretary Mayorkas would be — in any way prevent what happened to their children from happening to someone else's.

Lisa Desjardins:

The timing of this, though, Republicans, House Republicans, are on track, I'm told by sources, to move on articles of impeachment, likely the last week of this month.

Geoff Bennett:

Really? Do House Republicans, though, with their slimmest of slim majorities, do they have the votes to impeach him?

Lisa Desjardins:

A numbers question, an amazing time that we live in.

Let's look at what's going on in the House right now. OK, so we have 220 Republicans, because we have got two vacancies at the moment, over 213 Democrats. However, there are two Republicans who are absent for illness or one was in a car accident.

Now, that is close. But next week, another Republican will retire, leave his position. So, next week, Geoff, 217, 213, that's a one-vote margin. Why is it a one-vote margin? Because if you move two votes from Republicans to Democrats, it's a tie, 215 to 215. Ties fail. Essentially, the new speaker can only lose one vote on any issue and have it pass with only Republicans.

Now, it does seem that they are generally unified on this Mayorkas impeachment idea, and there may even be some Democratic support. So just by the narrowest of margins, it looks like they do have the support.

Geoff Bennett:

And House Republicans apparently have their hands full with these investigations and impeachments because they're also now trying to further their investigation of Hunter Biden. But there was a contempt — a vote to hold him in contempt. Where does that stand?

Lisa Desjardins:

A quick update on this. Hunter Biden has agreed just tonight to, in fact, give testimony behind closed doors. That was the contempt issue. We expect that testimony February 28.

So, for the moment, contempt is off the table. Hunter Biden will be speaking to investigators on the House side next month.

Geoff Bennett:

Lisa Desjardins on top of all of it, as always, thanks so much.

Lisa Desjardins:

You're welcome.