Reid puts Boehner on spot over Homeland Security funding bill

In a surprise turn of events, Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid put the brakes on a Tuesday proposal from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass a "clean" Homeland Security funding bill. Before Senate Democrats agree to that course of action, Reid said House Speaker John Boehner must signal his support for such a bill. Here's the details from Steven Dennis:

“We have to make sure that we get a bill to the president,” Reid said. “Unless Boehner’s in on the deal, it won’t happen.”

That could lead to the extraordinary circumstance of Democrats blocking a bill they have insisted on for weeks.

Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, didn’t say whether the Ohio Republican would go along with a clean bill.

“The Speaker has been clear: the House has acted, and now Senate Democrats need to stop hiding. Will they continue to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security or not?”

This is a ballsy move by Reid. After McConnell broke with certain members of his own caucus in order to scrap the anti-immigrant provisions and send a "clean" funding bill back to the House, Reid is putting the screws to Boehner, which is exactly where the pressure should be since Boehner originated this mess.

Reid said passing a “hot potato” back over to the House isn’t the goal, it’s getting the department funded.

McConnell himself said he didn’t know what the House would do with a clean bill. And it remains unclear how many Republicans in the House would be prepared to vote for a clean DHS funding bill and avoid a shutdown.

Mr. Speaker?