Deal Clears Way For Senate Vote on Homeland Security Funding

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Three days before a partial Homeland Security shutdown, lawmakers cleared the way Wednesday for Senate passage of legislation to fund the agency without immigration-related provisions opposed by President Barack Obama.

Approval in the Senate would send the issue to the House, where some conservatives derided the plan as a surrender to the White House. Other Republicans predicted it would clear, but Speaker John Boehner declined to say if he would put it to a vote.

"I'm waiting for the Senate to act. The House has done their job," he said at a news conference where he repeatedly sidestepped questions about his plans.

Increasingly, though, it appeared the only alternative to House acceptance of the Senate measure - or perhaps a short-term funding bill - was the partial shutdown of a federal department with major anti-terrorism responsibilities - and the likelihood the GOP would shoulder whatever political blame resulted.

The developments in Congress unfolded as Obama met at the White House with immigration activists before departing for a speech in Florida, where more than 23 percent of the population is of Hispanic descent. One person attending the meeting, Frank Sharry quoted Obama as saying Republicans were engaging in "kabuki" to appease conservatives who adamantly oppose presidential directives that would allow more than 4 million immigrants to remain in the country without threat of deportation even though they came to the country illegally.

Obama also predicted his administration would win a reversal in court of a ruling that has temporarily blocked his policies from taking effect, according to Sharry, who is executive director of America's Voice.