WASHINGTON _ Democrats will not support another clean continuing resolution that would allow Republicans to continue shirking their governing responsibilities, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Tuesday.
Hoyer named several "must pass" bills Republicans have yet to get through Congress, including reauthorizations of the Children's Health Insurance Program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the National Flood Insurance program, as well as the next disaster supplemental and legislation providing a path to legal status for young undocumented immigrants impacted by the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
"There's no more time to get these things done," Hoyer said. Republicans "are not going to bludgeon us into ignoring issues just because they ignore issues," the Maryland Democrat said. "And they think they have the votes. We'll see."
The two-week CR Congress passed last week expires Dec. 22. While 14 House Democrats voted for that CR, Hoyer said they would not have helped Republicans pass it if the GOP didn't have the votes.
Senate Democrats helped get that CR through their chamber, but Hoyer said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer has said they won't support another stopgap measure.
House Republicans have been talking about a combination measure that would fully fund defense appropriations through the end of the fiscal year but use a CR to keep the remaining agencies funded into January.
Hoyer said that wouldn't get Democratic support and couldn't pass the Senate.
"That's jamming what they want through," he said.
Nonetheless, Speaker Paul D. Ryan indicated Tuesday that's what House Republicans will pass.
"We're going to put together a bill that reflects our priorities and send that over to the Senate after tax reform," the Wisconsin Republican said.
If the Senate does not act on that measure, as is expected, a clean CR into January is likely among backup plans Republicans are considering, making Democrats' opposition to such a move problematic.
Democrats' push to pass a DACA fix before the Christmas break continues to impede. Ryan reiterated Tuesday that's not on the table as part of a year-end deal but Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi continue to call for it.
"We are in the process of negotiating with Republicans to provide a significant investment in border security in exchange for DACA," Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. "These talks continue to progress, and I'm hopeful we can reach an agreement on that issue as well."
