As the Obama Administration prepares to ask for an emergency stay of a federal judge's ruling which blocked the start of President Obama's executive actions on immigration, Congress returns to work with the Department of Homeland Security slated to run out of money on Friday.
"I hope it doesn't go to the deadline," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who joined other Democrats in lambasting Republicans over the possible shutdown of DHS.
"This is the same people that shutdown the government a year ago," Brown told me before Congress left on a ten day break.
The Justice Department is expected to take the first steps this week to appeal the temporary injunction issued last week by a federal juge in Texas, which put the President's immigration actions on hold.
"The Department of Justice has made a decision to file a stay in this case," said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest last Friday.
Earnest didn't give reporters any hint of exactly when the Justice Department would file a broader appeal of the judge's ruling, leaving the Obama Administration with a two-track legal battle.
Democrats to continue their filibuster
As the Senate returns on Monday, Republicans will force Democrats to vote for a fourth time to filibuster the start of debate on the GOP bill that both funds the Homeland Security Department and blocks the implementation of the Obama immigration actions.
Democrats say they have no plan to back off, as they have refused to allow the House-passed bill to be brought up for official debate or amendment.
As for Republicans, they want to make sure the voters get a clear idea of who is holding up the bill:
Funding runs out on Friday night at midnight for DHS; it should mean this week will be a very political one in Washington, D.C.
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