Top Republican floats new attack plan for Obama’s immigration action

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Republicans plan showdown over potential immigration executive order?

Sen. Pat Roberts, (R-Ks.), on Republican plans to strip spending from President Obama’s potential executive action on immigration.

Add "rescission" to the glossary for the looming immigration fight between congressional Republicans and President Obama.

No need to run to the dictionary -- it's a way for Congress to take back money that it's authorized through legislation. It's also the newest gambit being proposed by a top Republican hoping to undermine the president's expected executive action on immigration, and at the same time avoid a budget fight.

"I don't think any of you folks ever saw a rescission bill, have you?" Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, asked reporters on Tuesday, underscoring how rarely it is employed.

Rogers is pushing the rarely used parliamentary procedure as a middle ground option that essentially would allow lawmakers to pass a spending bill next month -- with a Dec. 11 deadline -- but then allow them to go back later on and strip out any money allocated for Obama's immigration plan.

But the idea has its pitfalls for Republicans, and already has prompted some pushback among conservatives.

While "rescission" would allow Republicans to propose a bill to repeal Obama's immigration funding, like any other bill, it would need to pass both chambers -- including a likely 60-vote threshold in the Senate -- and survive a presidential veto.

Even with control of the House and Senate next year, Republicans likely would not have the votes to override a veto.

"Umm, glaring problem here," a Senate Republican aide told Fox News, in response to Rogers' idea. "A rescission bill isn't some sort of special bill. It's just like most bills. The president would still have to sign a rescission bill. If he vetoed, we'd need 67 votes to defund executive amnesty. So what's being proposed here is giving the president the money and we wouldn't be able to take it back. Nice try."

The aide said the plan would amount to a "capitulation" to the president.

Democrats, meanwhile, immediately rejected the idea.

"Of course I would be against" retroactive spending cuts, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday, when asked about the plan.

Asked about Republican plans to potentially cut funding for immigration changes, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said they "haven't seen any specific proposals" but would not view it "very favorably."

He would not say when the president might act on immigration. But he reiterated the president's pledge that if the House were to ever approve the Senate-passed immigration bill, it would effectively negate Obama's executive action.

"There is a trump card that Republicans hold right now," he said, referring to that scenario.

Meanwhile, Democrats continued to press Obama on Tuesday to take a major step with his immigration actions.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., urged the president in a letter on Tuesday to take "bold, decisive action" on immigration.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.