Boehner can’t rule out Homeland Security Department shutdown

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio says Senate Democrats should "get off their ass" and pass a bill to fund the Homeland Security Department and restrict President Barack Obama's executive moves on immigration, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, during a news conference following a GOP strategy meeting, on Capitol Hill in Washington. His comments Wednesday underscored a worsening stalemate on Capitol Hill with funding for the Homeland Security Department set to expire Feb. 27. A day earlier, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the Senate "stuck" on the issue and said the next move was in the House's court. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio says Senate Democrats should "get off their ass" and pass a bill to fund the Homeland Security Department and restrict President Barack Obama's executive moves on immigration, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, during a news conference following a GOP strategy meeting, on Capitol Hill in Washington. His comments Wednesday underscored a worsening stalemate on Capitol Hill with funding for the Homeland Security Department set to expire Feb. 27. A day earlier, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the Senate "stuck" on the issue and said the next move was in the House's court. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

By Associated Press February 12, 2015 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Speaker John Boehner (BAY’-nuhr) is refusing to rule out a potential shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security because of a congressional impasse over funding.

Boehner says Senate Democrats would be to blame if the department’s $40 billion budget lapses in late February.

When questioned by reporters on Thursday, the Ohio Republican refused to repeat past assurances that the department would stay open.

Boehner says a shutdown would be bad. But he says the House has done its job by passing a bill that keeps the agency running while also overturning President Barack Obama’s executive policies on immigration.

Senate Democrats have blocked that bill because they oppose the immigration language.