Boehner challenges Senate Democrats to "get off their ass'

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, joined by, from left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., and Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kansas, says Senate Democrats should "get off their ass" and pass a bill to fund the Homeland Security Department and restrict President Barack Obama's executive moves on immigration, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 during a news conference following a GOP strategy meeting, on Capitol Hill in Washington. His comments Wednesday underscored a worsening stalemate on Capitol Hill with funding for the Homeland Security Department set to expire Feb. 27. A day earlier, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the Senate "stuck" on the issue and said the next move was in the House's court.
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, joined by, from left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., and Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kansas, says Senate Democrats should "get off their ass" and pass a bill to fund the Homeland Security Department and restrict President Barack Obama's executive moves on immigration, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 during a news conference following a GOP strategy meeting, on Capitol Hill in Washington. His comments Wednesday underscored a worsening stalemate on Capitol Hill with funding for the Homeland Security Department set to expire Feb. 27. A day earlier, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the Senate "stuck" on the issue and said the next move was in the House's court.

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker John Boehner challenged Senate Democrats Wednesday to "get off their ass" and pass a bill to fund the Homeland Security Department and restrict President Barack Obama's executive moves on immigration.

His comments seemed unlikely to change Senate Democrats' behavior. But they underscored a worsening stalemate on Capitol Hill with funding for the Homeland Security Department set to expire Feb. 27. A day earlier, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the Senate "stuck" on the issue and said the next move was in the House's court.

Boehner rejected that, insisting the House has already done its job. He said Senate Democrats are at fault for blocking a House-passed bill that funds the department through the remainder of the budget year while also overturning Obama's policies limiting deportations for millions here illegally. Democrats oppose the immigration language.

"The House has done its job, why don't you go ask the Senate Democrats when they're going to get off their ass and do something other than to vote no?" Boehner told reporters after meeting with GOP lawmakers. "The issue here is not Senate Republicans. The issue here is Senate Democrats."

In response, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid chided Boehner that "cursing is not going to resolve the squabbling among Republicans that led to this impasse."

"Democrats have been clear from day one about the way out of this mess: take up the clean Homeland Security funding bill which Republicans signed off on in December - and which is ready to come to the Senate floor - pass it, and move on," said Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson.

It's not clear how the impasse will be resolved since Republicans in both chambers insist they have no plans for further action. The likeliest outcome may be a short-term extension of current funding levels for the Department of Homeland Security, something agency leaders say would jeopardize their ability to make needed changes at the Secret Service, Border Patrol and other agencies.

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Boehner: Senate Dems need to 'get off their ass' on Homeland Security funding