As usual, House Speaker John Boehner has a problem with his conference. And, as usual, it's over a shutdown fight. And, as usual, he has an easy out if he just cuts loose the crazies. The Senate has passed—overwhelmingly and in a bipartisan vote—a
clean funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security through September 30. Right there is Boehner's easy out on adverting yet another Republican manufactured shutdown crisis. But instead of taking that out,
he's trying to bend the "moderate" Republicans to the hard-liners' will.
With only hours to go until the nation’s domestic anti-terror department shuts down, House Republican leaders are working to placate a group moderate GOP lawmakers who are upset with how leadership structured the Department of Homeland Security funding debate. […]
The issue is this: Republicans will vote on the motion to start negotiations with the Senate before the vote on the funding bill. If the motion to go to a formal conference fails, then Republicans will not be able to pass the funding bill and are back to square one. Democrats are not expected to vote for the motion to go to conference because Senate Democrats will ultimately reject it.
The clock is ticking toward midnight, when funding for DHS runs out. And so far, the only plan Boehner has is a three-week funding bill, which the Senate Democrats will reject. Stalemate. Shutdown. And it will entirely be the fault of the worst House speaker in modern memory.
10:12 AM PT: Meanwhile:
Looks like House GOP short of votes for the 3-week CR. But moderates saying it's not because of them.
— @ericawerner
The House is now in recess while Boehner tries to figure out how in the hell to get out of this. We'll keep you updated throughout the day.