(IntegrityTimes.com) – The Senate is due to vote on a border policy package after the previous attempt at a bipartisan compromise failed in the upper chamber in early 2024.
The proposed legislation is not expected to pass this time either, as President Joe Biden plans to issue executive actions relating to the border crisis that are bound to attract opposition from more progressive Democrats. The bill was originally negotiated by Democrat Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, Independent Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Oklahoma Senator James Lankford in an attempt to secure more support from Republicans for a revised foreign aid deal. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he expects some Democrats to oppose the bill.
Biden was criticized in February 2024 for his shift in position, prompting immigration advocates to accuse him of punishing asylum seekers more in line with Republican policy to secure Republican backing for $95 billion in foreign aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. The package was approved by the House in April 2024. With the border crisis being a central issue approaching the November general election, the bill is expected to be voted against by both sides of the spectrum.
Democrats have already accused Republicans of turning down opportunities to address an issue they consistently blame the Biden administration for not tackling. A White House spokesperson criticized the GOP in March for opposing Biden’s proposed funding, which included hiring more border agents as well as introducing technology aimed at curbing the supply of fentanyl from across the southern border. Though Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has invested $11 billion of state funds in Operation Lone Star to increase border security, Texas has bussed over 100,000 migrants up to Democratic Sanctuary Cities. Following opposition to the previous attempt at a bipartisan border bill, Democrats have accused Republicans of intentionally sabotaging any Democratic efforts to manage the border crisis in order to provide the GOP with more ammunition against Biden’s administration.
Schumer recognized that the bill would likely be opposed by both Democrats and Republicans, but accepted that this is how bipartisan legislation must be written when approaching an issue “complex and politically charged” such as immigration. Schumer recalled Biden inviting Republicans to vote against the bill in January and telling them to blame it on him. He added that American citizens are looking for bipartisan action in mapping out effective border security measures rather than more partisan blame shifting.
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