Congress has avoided a partial spare.
The temporary funding bill passed with# strong bipartisan support.
But a long-term## fix and tougher debates remain, including# over Ukraine funding and border security.
Lisa Desjardins is here to# explain what it all means.
So, Lisa, sign of the times.
Congress makes headlines just fo (LAUGHTER) GEOFF BENNETT: How'd they do it?
LISA DESJA GEOFF BENNETT: Temporarily, righ LISA DESJARDINS: then overwhelmingly in the House in a matter# of hours approaching Washington, D.C., and, to be# honest, lawmakers want to get out of town.
But it is a sign of success for the new speaker,# Mike Johnson, threading a needle h bipartisan bills that were important, despite# opposition from conservatives in his party.
So,## government will not shut down, at least not# this month.
This moves deadlines back to March,## when we are very likely to# be speaking about this again.
But, meanwhile, as you said, there are still# pressing conce funding and also over border security.
Now, I can# report that the border security team says they're## closing in on a deal.
But those two issues are# now linked.
They're trying to put text together,## not only for border security details,# but the amount of money for Ukraine.
Senator Chris Murphy, who's# one of the negotiators,## spoke about this complicated maneuver.
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): So we# have to land two pla One is the conversation we're having# about changes in our border policy.
The other is the dollar amounts for# the supplemental.
And it's possible## that that could be ready for next# week, but there's still work to do.
LISA DESJARDINS: Still work to do.
We're going to## be watching this close GEOFF BENNETT: Meantime, House Republicans# are working quickly to advance im proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary# Alejandro Mayorkas.
Where does LISA DESJARDINS: There was an emotional# hearing today that House Republicans held## in the House Homeland Security Committee.# It's significa the last hearing on this issue before# they moved to articles of impeachment.
They asked Secretary Mayorkas to# appear.
He said he had scheduling## conflicts because a delegation from Mexico# is coming.
They say he tried to re but that the House Republicans didn't respond.# Now, in that hearing, the House members laid out## Republicans, laid out their case that they think# Secretary Mayorkas should in fact be impeached.
Here's the chairman of the committee, Mark Green.
REP. MARK GREEN (R-TN): This is not# a policy Secretary Mayorkas has disregarded court orders,## laws passed by the United States Congress# and has lied to the American people.
LISA DESJARDINS: Now, of course, Mayorkas## and Democr The lie that he -- that Republicans# are talking about, they say,## when Secretary Mayorkas said the border is# under operational a lie.
The secretary says you have to have a# reasonable standard.
He also says he need resources.
They're doing more than they have# ever done before in terms of larger numbers## of deporting people that we have ever seen,# more fentanyl seizures than we have ever seen.
But Republicans brought a series of# witnesses today that were emotional,## one mother, for example, whose daughter# was killed by an undocumented immigrant,## MS-13 member, another mother whose# daughter died from a fentanyl overdose.
Now, Democrats responded with sympathy,# of course.
These were very strong,## tragic and powerful stories, but they# said we're not sure that really has## to do with the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.
Here's one of the members of Congress.
REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D-TX) may not be the solutions that they seek, under the# false pretense that impeaching Secretary Mayorkas## would be -- in any way prevent what happened to# their children from happening to someone else's.
LISA DESJARDINS: The timing of this, though,# Republicans, House Republicans, are on track,## I'm told by sources, to move on articles of# impeachment, likely the la GEOFF BENNETT: Really?
Do# House Republicans, though,## with their slimmest of slim ma LISA DESJARDINS: A numbers question,# an amazing time that we live in.
Let's look at what's going on in the House# right now.
OK, so we have 220 be cause we have got two vacancies at# the moment, over 213 Democrats.
However,## there are two Republicans who are absent# for illness or one was in a car accident.
Now, that is close.
But next week, another# Republican will retire, leave his position.
So,## next week, Geoff, 217, 213, that's a one-vote# margin.
Why is it a one-vote margin?
Because if## you move two votes from Republicans to Democrats,# it's a tie, 215 to 215.
Ties fail.
Essentially,## the new speaker can only lose one vote on any# issue and have it pass with only Republicans.
Now, it does seem that they are generally# unified on this Mayorkas impeachment idea,## and there may even be some Democratic support.
So## just by the narrowest of margins, it# looks like they GEOFF BENNETT: And House Republicans apparently# have their hands full with an d impeachments because they're also now# trying to further their Hunter Biden.
But there was a contempt -- a vote# to hold him in contempt.
Where does that stand?
LISA DESJARDINS: A quick update on this.# Hunter Biden has agreed just tonight to,## in fact, give testimony behind closed doors.## That was the contempt issue.
We# expect that testimon So, for the moment, contempt is# off the table.
Hunter Biden will## be speaking to investigators# on the House side next month.
GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins on top# of all of it, as always, thanks so much.
LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.