Republicans Blocking DHS Funding Are 'Delusional,' Rep. Peter King Says
Some Republicans want funding tied to rolback of Obama's immigration moves.
— -- House Homeland Security Committee member Rep. Peter King today called some members of his Republican caucus "self-righteous and delusional" for opposing a bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security.
"I said the other night, when I was at the Republican meeting, that they are self-righteous and delusional," King said on "This Week" of the Republican contingent holding up the bill because of their opposition to President Obama's executive action on immigration.
"We're talking about maybe 40 or 50 people at most, out of a caucus of 247, out of a Congress of 435. We cannot allow such a small group to be dominating and controlling what happens in the United States Congress, especially at a time when we're confronting terrorism," the New York Republican told ABC News' Martha Raddatz.
House Republicans have tied funding for DHS to legislation that would roll back Obama's executive orders on immigration, a move King calls "irresponsible."
"Listen, I am as opposed to this immigration action as they are. But the fact is, it's essential that we fund the Department of Homeland Security," King said. "We saw what happened in Denmark, in Paris, what ISIS is doing with the beheadings. We had the people being arrested in New York just the other night. And for these people to be threatening to defund the Department of Homeland Security at a time when our threat streams have never been greater at any time since 9/11, it's absolutely irresponsible."
Despite a looming shutdown, the bill to fund the Homeland Security Department has been stalled in Congress for weeks. On Friday night, the House approved a one-week funding extension in order to avoid a partial shutdown, after voting down a longer extension, in a major failure for House Speaker John Boehner.
But King said he maintains his confidence in Boehner's ability to wrangle his party's votes, and he called for a "up or down" vote on a clean funding bill this week.
"We have to stand behind John Boehner and John Boehner has to find a way this week, as soon as possible in the week, once Prime Minister Netanyahu finishes his speech, to bring the clean bill to the floor of the House for a vote, an up or down vote. That's all we're asking for is democracy. Let that come to a vote," King said. "There's no doubt it will pass."