GOP Leaders Work to Prevent Shutdown

New York Times: “As Congress returns from recess on Monday facing a Dec. 11 deadline for funding the government, Mr. Boehner and his fellow Republican leaders are working to persuade the rank and file — furious over President Obama’s executive action on immigration — that engaging in a spending confrontation is the wrong way to counter the White House. That would set the wrong tone, they argue, as Republicans prepare to take over Congress and fulfill promises to govern responsibly.”

Wall Street Journal: “But it is unclear what Republicans will do to satisfy conservatives who want to express their anger over President Obama ’s decision to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. Some of these lawmakers, emboldened by the GOP’S midterm-election victories, see funding bills as a way to oppose the president on immigration and other issues, while some also are likely to object to spending levels they deem too high.”

Politico: “December was supposed to be a sleepy month for Congress — a chance to finish up a productive lame-duck session and leave the decks clear for the new Republican majority that takes control in January. Instead, the next two weeks have morphed into a minefield.”

[speech_bubble type=”std” subtype=”a” icon=”pwdome.jpg” name=””]This is a big test of the GOP leadership’s ability to control their members. [/speech_bubble]