Washington's DHS Funding, Immigration Squeeze Likely Pressuring Newly Elected Congressmen
By Larry Kane
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- It's another political grinder of a week in the US House, where funding has been extended just one week for homeland security as a move to block the President's immigration plan. Two just-elected members of congress may be feeling squeezed by the impasse.
These are difficult days in the US House of Representatives. Speaker John Boehner is under attack by his party's right flank for trying to keep Homeland Security open. He managed a week's extension, but this week another vote will come up and two area moderate Republican Congressmen, Ryan Costello, based in Chester County, and Tom MacArthur from parts of South Jersey, are under severe pressure.
Both have already voted for extensions twice. Both seats are probable targets by Democrats next year, and polls show that voters might punish Republicans in moderate districts who help cause a paralyzing government shutdown.
On the other side, conservatives might punish fellow Republicans who don't stand up against the Obama immigration reforms, which the Homeland Security funding threat is designed to stop.