Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/426611
ByEricaWerner The Associated Press WASHINGTON TheRepub- lican-led House may vote this week to undo Presi- dent Barack Obama's exec- utive actions on immigra- tion, House Speaker John Boehner told lawmak- ers Tuesday as he sought to give outraged conser- vatives an outlet to vent over Obama's move with- out shutting down the gov- ernment. Themovewouldbemostly symbolic, since Obama would certainly veto such legislation and the Dem- ocratic-led Senate likely wouldn't go along with it. But GOP leaders hope it will assuage Republicans furious about Obama's two-week- old actions to shield some 4 million immigrants in this country illegally from depor- tation, and grant them work permits. "We're looking at a num- ber of options in terms of how to address this. This is a serious breach of our Constitution," Boehner told reporters. "It's a seri- ous threat to our system of government, and frankly we have limited options and limited ability to deal with it directly." Publicly, the speaker told reporters that Republicans were considering several op- tions and no decision had been made, but aides and lawmakers said that he indi- cated during a closed-door meeting with the rank and file earlier that the vote on legislation to block Obama was the leading option. It would be on a bill by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., aimed at blocking Obama from uni- laterally allowing categories of unlawful immigrants to live and work here. Party leaders then hope to move on next week to voting on must-pass spend- ing legislation to keep the government running. In the wake of their midterm elec- tion victories last month to win full control of Con- gress, Republican leaders are eager to show they can govern responsibly without risking government shut- downs. But Obama's ad- ministrative moves on im- migration and the resulting GOP fury has created com- plications. Boehner floated the two- step approach as Congress reconvened after a week- long Thanksgiving recess. But there were immediate signs of opposition from immigration hard-liners who have scuttled past ef- forts by Boehner to address the issue. Several conservative lawmakers said Boehner's approach didn't go far enough. They said they would hold out for a spend- ing bill to include language explicitly blocking Obama's actions from taking effect. GOP leaders fear that could scuttle the spending bill or even lead to a government shutdown. "If we start out with a bill that does nothing to reverse the president's ille- gal conduct it will be diffi- cult for me to support it," said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala. "I'll be surprised if they can muster the 218 votes needed to pass the House." Some conservatives were not mollified by the pros- pect of voting on Yoho's bill aimed at overturning Obama. "I'm going to vote for Yo- ho's bill but it's not going to go anywhere and everybody knows that," said Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz. Meanwhile Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson defended Obama's new immigration plans be- fore a House committee where Republicans took turns denouncing them as an unconstitutional power grab that would incite a new rush of illegal immi- gration at the border. "The president's unilat- eral actions to bypass Con- gress undermine the Con- stitution and threaten our democracy," said Rep. Mi- chael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Com- mittee. "We will see a wave of illegal immigration be- cause of the president's ac- tions." Johnson disputed that point and others, arguing the president acted within his executive authority to temporarily defer depor- tations for certain immi- grants who are not priori- ties for removal anyway. MOSTLY SYMBOLIC MOVE Ho us e ma y vo te t o un do i mm ig ra ti on o rd er MANUELBALCECENETA—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Miguel Solis-Mena from Nicaragua, right, with Lorena Mejia from El Salvador, center, and Donnita Moody from Washington, le , applaud as members of Congress fighting for immigration reform speak during a news conference Tuesday on Capitol Hill. By John-Thor Dahlburg And Lara Jakes The Associated Press BRUSSELS NATO nations on Tuesday agreed to bol- ster its defenses against Russian aggression, con- tinuing the military alli- ance's return to its found- ing mission by focusing on nearby threats as it steps back from more than a de- cade of combat in Afghan- istan. The 28 member coun- tries approved a new in- terim quick-reaction mili- tary force to protect them- selves from Russia or other threats, with an initial unit to be up and running next year, NATO Secretary-Gen- eral Jens Stoltenberg said. The interim force will be supplanted in 2016 by a permanent one, Stolten- berg said. "We are protecting our al- lies and supporting our part- ners," Stoltenberg told re- portersatanannualmeeting of NATO's foreign ministers. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged diplo- mats from other nations to contribute their fair share to the alliance, noting "we can't have 21st century se- curity on the cheap." It was likely to be the last meeting of foreign minis- ters who oversaw the Inter- national Security Assistance Force, made up largely of NATO troops, which has sought to stabilize Afghan- istan since shortly after the 2001 invasion. "In one way or another, we have been tested repeat- edly by those who want to divide us, or to cause us to retreat from the basic com- mitments that we have made to one another — both within and beyond the NATO arena," Kerry said. "These tests are difficult, and they will continue to be difficult in the new year. But history has shown just how tough the alliance of free nations can be." The ministers also autho- rized the launch of an ad- visory mission in Afghani- stan on Jan. 1, when NATO- led combat operations there are scheduled to end. "We are determined to master our destiny, to over- come our past," Afghan Pres- ident Ashraf Ghani said. The foreign ministers also approved maintaining measures through 2015 ini- tiated to reassure NATO na- tions nearest Russia, Stol- tenberg said. Such mea- sures include stepped-up air patrols over the Baltic Sea and the continuous rotation of NATO military units in and out of countries like Po- land and Baltic republics. A senior NATO official, speaking to journalists on condition he not be identi- fied by name, said the bri- gade-sized land-based com- ponent of the force, about 3,000-4,000 troops con- tributed by Germany, Nor- way and the Netherlands, is expected to be operational as of Jan. 1. The military ramp-up was largely spurred by Rus- sia's aggressive actions in neighboring Ukraine. Kerry said the U.S. has so far provided $118 million in assistance and training to Kiev, and wouldn't rule out sending lethal aid to Ukraine's government, al- though he made clear that is currently not being con- sidered. QUICK-REACTION FORCE NATO steps up to Russia, but back from Afghanistan VIRGINIA MAYO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a media conference a er a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday. By Tom Odula The Associated Press NAIROBI,KENYA The heav- ily armed men roused the sleeping quarry workers in the dead of night. As in previous such at- tacks, the gunmen singled out the non-Muslims by asking them to recite the Islamic creed. Then they killed 36 of them — most with a gunshot to the back of the head, according to a survivor who hid nearby during the slaughter. The Islamic militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the me- thodical massacre in north- ern Kenya early Tuesday — 10 days after a similar at- tack on a bus that killed 28 — and it prompted Presi- dent Uhuru Kenyatta to shake up his national se- curity team amid public outrage over the continu- ing violence. "I know we are all under a lot of pressure, but I appeal to each one of us: This is not a time to be cowed by the enemy," Kenyatta said in a nationally televised address. "This is a war we must win," he said. "We will not flinch or relent in the war against terrorism in our country and our region." Al-Shabab has been fighting for years to es- tablish hard-line Islamic rule in neighboring Soma- lia. The al-Qaida-linked group has vowed to strike against Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia, and it has claimed it was behind the bus attack and the siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi last year that left 67 dead. The group has suffered a series of setbacks this year. It lost control of a key coastal stronghold in Somalia to government and African Union troops in October, and its spiritual leader, Ahmed Abdi Go- dane, was killed in a U.S. airstrike Sept. 1. AL-SHABAB Militants kill 36 non-Muslims in northern Kenya By Tom Krisher The Associated Press DETROIT At least seven au- tomakers are teaming up to find the cause of a problem with air bags used in their vehicles and how many cars to recall because of it. Inflators in certain air bags made by the Japa- nese supplier Takata Corp. can explode with too much force and spew shrapnel into the passenger com- partment. So far, 14 million vehi- cles worldwide have been recalled due to the prob- lem, including 8 million in the U.S. Takata has yet to pinpoint a cause, even though the recalls started a decade ago. The U.S. gov- ernment wants Takata and automakers to add millions of cars across the U.S. to re- calls currently limited to areas with high humidity. The automakers indicated Tuesday that they want to do their own testing, in ad- dition to tests underway at Takata. Toyota and Honda are leading the call for an in- dustrywide investigation. In a statement, Toyota said it will ask the industry to hire an independent en- gineering company, and the affected companies would share results to fig- ure out recall repairs. So far, General Motors, Nis- san, Subaru, Chrysler and Ford have agreed to cooper- ate. One auto industry ana- lyst suggested the automak- ers feel Takata is taking too long to find the cause. The announcement came as Takata edged closer to a midnight deadline to agree to a national recall of driv- er's air bags or face civil fines and legal action from the National Highway Traf- fic Safety Administration. The U.S. Transportation Department, which over- sees NHTSA, said Tuesday evening that the agency received a response from Takata and was evaluat- ing it. RECALLS Automakers to jointly probe Takata air bags Dec.3 rd 2pm to 7pm Lassen House Assisted Living 705 Luther Rd, Red Bluff • Drive through toy drop off • Refreshments • Music • Young Marines will be present • Cal Fire Dog Make a Donation Come have some fun and bring a toy GoldExchange The 3 rd Annual Christmas for A Cause Nov. 15 th -Dec. 13 th 423WalnutSt.,RedBluff 528-8000 www.ChristmasForACause TehamaCounty.com *ForDetailsand *Wish list* BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION Visit Let'sTalk About Hair Jeannie Stroing Perm, Cut & Set Special $ 45 longhairextra Now through Dec. 31st 450Antelope Blvd. Bus 528-2900 Cell 526-1304 100JacksonStreet, Red Bluff (530) 529-1220 NEW Membership Specials CallorComeIn for details | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014 8 A