Congress
‘It could happen to your state next’: Durbin appeals to GOP on Guard deployments
Illinois’ senior senator made an appeal across the aisle Monday as President Donald Trump moved to deploy out-of-state National Guard troops on the streets of Chicago.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said in a floor speech and in comments to reporters that his Republican colleagues needed to speak up against what he said is a grave constitutional crisis.
“He is deploying troops into an American state and city without the permission of the governor,” he told reporters. “If you’re a student of American history, you realize what the significance of this move is. This is a president trying to assert his authority and power over a sovereign state and people who live in it. It could happen to your state next.”
Durbin also said he expects the matter to come up in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
So far, the GOP response to the troop deployments in Illinois and in Oregon, which has so far been blocked by a federal judge, has been muted.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Monday that deploying federalized National Guard troops “to protect [federal] law enforcement personnel and federal buildings … is a justifiable use of executive branch authority.”
“Like any any executive branch of the government, they always — I’ve been through lot of them — extend and try and expand as much as possible the use of executive power and authority,” he added. “There’s always a tension, a back-and-forth — stress, if you will, between the branches of the government and, in many cases, the courts have to decide it.”
A large contingent of House Republicans — encompassing hard-liners, Budget Committee members, panel chairs and party leaders — piled into Speaker Mike Johnson’s office Thursday afternoon to discuss a second party-line package, according to four people granted anonymity to share details of the private meeting.
Among the lawmakers attending were Budget Chair Jodey Arrington of Texas and Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger, also of Texas.
Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Byron Donalds of Florida, Tom McClintock of California and Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma were also on hand, alongside Pennsylvania Reps. Lloyd Smucker and Scott Perry.
“We’re definitely preparing to move forward,” Johnson said in an interview as he left the meeting, regarding the House GOP Conference’s plans to pursue another bill through the filibuster-skirting budget reconciliation process. “We’re talking about more details. Lots of work going on.”
One of the biggest issues members are trying to work through at the moment is how to close the wide gap between Republicans in the House and Senate. Most House Republicans want a more expansive bill with myriad conservative policy priorities to ride alongside war and defense funding, while the Senate GOP is largely pushing for a more narrowly-focused measure, according to the four people.
Senate Democrats rejected a GOP photo ID amendment Thursday, an issue that Republicans are eager to use as a cudgel in the midterms.
Senators voted 53-47 on the amendment from Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, which needed 60 votes to advance. Republicans wanted to add the language to their election bill, known as the SAVE America Act.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the amendment “would impose the single strictest voter ID law in America.”
“Stricter than Texas. Stricter than Florida. Stricter than any state in the country,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to clinch a bipartisan Department of Homeland Security funding agreement Thursday.
“I think the Dems are now in possession of what I think is our last and final” offer, Thune told reporters. “So let’s hope this gets it done.”
“We’re going to know soon,” he added.
The South Dakota Republican declined to discuss details of the offer but suggested it was similar to where the discussions were headed over the weekend. GOP senators then were looking at a bipartisan deal that would fund most of DHS but leave out funding for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
That offer was rejected by Democrats. But two people granted anonymity to discuss the revised proposal said it, too, omitted only ERO money but included additional language to try to address some of Democrats’ concerns.
Spokespeople for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Senate is expected to vote again on the House-passed DHS bill Thursday afternoon. The House is also voting again on DHS funding Thursday and is planning to leave town Friday morning for a two-week holiday recess. Progress in the Senate could prompt House GOP leaders to stay in session in hopes of sending a bill to President Donald Trump.
Asked about the Senate vote, Thune said he hoped there would be “some finality in this real soon.”
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