Senate Democrats could shut down the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the end of the month — and Rep. Mick Mulvaney told Newsmax on Thursday that would mean amnesty for as many as five million illegal immigrants in the country.
"Shutdown equals amnesty," the South Carolina Republican said. "That's what's driving the Senate Democrats to do what they do.
"They get what they want through a government shutdown," he said. "The president doesn't need the DHS funding in order to put his executive amnesty in place."
Mulvaney's comments came as Republicans and Democrats squared off over how to move forward on the $39.7 billion Homeland Security funding bill that seeks to reverse the executive orders Obama announced in November.
The legislation passed the GOP-controlled House last month.
Senate Democrats, however, have blocked three Republican procedural votes end "cloture," which would allow the bill to come to the floor for debate.
GOP legislators have accused Democrats of filibustering the bill.
To break the filibuster, however, Republicans need 60 votes. The GOP controls the upper chamber, with 54 seats, but at least six Democratic votes are needed to move forward.
Once the funding bill reached the full Senate, it could be approved with only a simple majority — rolling back the amnesty orders — and sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Obama has threatened to veto any legislation that seeks to roll back his unilateral actions. The orders would grant deportation deferrals and work permits to as many as five million illegals.
Homeland Security's funding would lapse Feb. 27 without action — and only personnel related to critical national security efforts would be allowed to work.
Republican leaders in both chambers insist that they will not allow DHS to go without funding at a time of global terror threats.
"Democrats are filibustering Homeland Security funding for one reason: to defend actions President Obama himself referred to as 'unwise and unfair,' and 'ignoring the law,'" Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor.
"This strained logic of our Democrat friends is hard to follow," the Kentucky Republican later added. "We understand Democrats might be having a tough time kicking this years-long gridlock habit of theirs. But it’s about time they did."
House Speaker John Boehner acknowledged that "Senate Democrats don’t like our plan," noting that McConnell has promised the opportunity for them to amend the bill — "something they weren’t able to do in the last Congress.
"But for Senate Democrats to simply block debate on a bill that funds many of their own priorities is as senseless and undemocratic as it is," Boehner added. "If funding for Homeland Security lapses, Washington Democrats are going to bear the responsibility."
Mulvaney, 47, who is in his third House term, noted to Newsmax that many Democrats who had campaigned against amnesty during the congressional elections were now voting with their party.
"Yet not only are they obstructing debate on the bill, they're pushing us toward the lapse in funding that would essentially allow the president to implement his plans," he said. "They won't even allow debate on the topic."
Even though the Democratic filibustering could lead to Homeland Security shutting down, Mulvaney said that Obama surely would blame Republican for it.
"He would do so again. I have no misconception about that," he told Newsmax. "But at the same time, I think everybody knows that it's the Democrats who are running a filibuster in the Senate."