Time and again, House Democrats have bailed out House Speaker John Boehner and his leadership team.

On Friday, they showed the GOP what it feels like when they refuse.


Boehner was handed a resounding defeat on the House floor Friday when his leadership team was unable to persuade 217 Republicans to back a three-week stopgap funding bill to keep the Department of Homeland Security open. Hours later, Democrats did provide Boehner votes to pass a one-week measure — in exchange, they said, for the speaker agreeing to end the matter next week by putting a “clean” longer-term funding bill up for a vote.

Republicans denied an explicit deal, but Boehner will have to show his hand in the coming days.

Critical to the stinging loss earlier in the day were 173 House Democrats, who votedalmost en block against the GOP plan to extend the department’s funding another three weeks. Only a dozen Democrats backed the plan.

The move was a reversal for Nancy Pelosi’s caucus. In the past, Democrats have thrown him a lifeline to pass government spending and debt ceiling bills when the speaker couldn’t scare up the votes himself. They have rescued GOP leaders from their most conservative members.

The 12 Democrats who backed the GOP proposal for the three-week measure mostly occupying vulnerable seats or represent large blocks of Homeland Security employees.

Democratic leaders mounted an aggressive whip operation. Within an hour of hearing that Republicans would put a three-week extension on the floor, Democratic whips, led by Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, spoke with “nearly every” Democratic member, urging them to oppose the bill, a leadership staffer said.

Immediately after the vote, Pelosi met her top deputies in her enclave off the floor.

Lawmakers were not openly celebrating Boehner’s defeat — given that thousands of employees could have been sent home or work without pay. But on the floor and after the vote, Democratic lawmakers appeared heartened that their strategy worked.

“You bet,” said one Democratic lawmaker when asked if the party was pleased.

Rep. Steve Israel of New York said this vote could dislodge the GOP leadership team.

“John Boehner’s view of security is the security of his gavel,” Israel said, “and tonight it’s less secure.”

Democrats want a 1-year funding of DHS without any provisions that would block President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

“We have consistently bailed them out,” Israel said.