On Thursday, the Senate failed for the second time to pass a bipartisan border security package that Republicans had previously rejected earlier this year when former President Donald Trump spoke out against it.
The measure failed to pass the upper chamber by a vote of 43 to 50.
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Democrats are attempting to leverage Republicans’ resistance to sway public sentiment in their favor, as polls show voters are critical of President Biden’s immigration policy. Border security has been a prominent element of the Republican platform leading up to the November election.
“The divide between Democrats and Republicans is evident today, and it will be even more pronounced in November. Democrats want to fix the border and get things done. Republicans want to give speeches, let the border fester, and do nothing to address the issue,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday afternoon.
Republicans had “no good explanation” for their refusal to support the package, “other than Donald Trump told them to do a 180-degree about-face,” Schumer stated.
Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, claimed earlier in the day that Republicans who voted against the proposal “chosen to preserve chaos at the border” and “now this crisis is on them.”
At a border-related news conference on Wednesday, Schatz lashed out at his Republican colleagues, claiming they had previously urged that Democrats “get serious about the border.”
“Some of the Republicans that I respect the most were really forceful with us, and so we listened,” he stated. “We created legislation that I don’t like, but I know is strong enough to get the job done. However, they abandoned ship because Donald Trump instructed them to do so.
The border bill
After months of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats struck a compromise in February, marking the first comprehensive border security policy overhaul in decades. The agreement would have granted the president extensive authority to curb illegal border crossings and enforce stricter asylum regulations, among other measures.
Republicans had been arguing for a while that the measure was crucial for their endorsement of further assistance to Ukraine. However, Trump actively encouraged his supporters to vote against it, resulting in the measure failing to garner the necessary 60 votes to move forward in the Senate. Subsequently, Congress, with the backing of Republicans, has passed additional aid to Ukraine as part of a comprehensive foreign aid package.
Republicans claim that the president already possesses the authority to halt the influx of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, asserting that the bipartisan agreement to enhance his powers would have minimal impact.
In a floor speech on Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, expressed his concern about the effectiveness of laws when the administration fails to enforce them.
In a statement released after Thursday’s vote, Mr. Biden expressed his disappointment, stating that Republicans prioritized partisan politics over the national security of our country.
According to him, Congressional Republicans do not prioritize border security or the repair of America’s flawed immigration system. If they genuinely cared, they would have supported the most stringent border enforcement measures ever proposed. He further stated his dedication to taking necessary steps to address the challenges of the broken immigration system.
House Republican leadership stated earlier this week that they considered the bill “dead on arrival” in the lower chamber, should it somehow pass through the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, dismissed the vote as a futile endeavor and described it as an attempt to make a last-ditch effort in an election year.
The compromise measure was negotiated by Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma; Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut; and Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona.
Lankford, who was one of four Republicans who voted in favor of advancing the measure back in February, has now changed his stance and does not support it. He refers to it as a mere “prop.”
During the debate on the bill, he expressed his opinion, stating, “Today is merely a political messaging exercise. Unfortunately, this does not contribute to the betterment of our country.”
He urged Democrats and Republicans to persevere in their efforts to find a bipartisan solution.
Sinema dismissed the procedural vote as nothing more than political theater and a show vote aimed at shifting blame onto the opposing party.
“We are not leaving today with a political victory,” she expressed. “No one emerges as the winner, and no one gains the upper hand. Instead, we are essentially conveying the message to one another: do not take a step forward, do not attempt to resolve significant issues, and remain firmly entrenched in your partisan positions.”
Connecticut Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal responded to criticism suggesting that the vote was solely intended to strengthen the messaging of the Democrats on the border.
Blumenthal emphasized that the vote holds significant weight beyond being a mere message. He asserted that it will yield concrete outcomes in terms of border security.
Later in the day, during a floor speech, Blumenthal criticized Republicans for their refusal to back the measure back in February. He claimed that their reluctance stemmed from a desire to use border issues as a campaign platform.
According to the Senator, it is the Republican colleagues who are using politics as a justification for their actions. He points out that their presumptive presidential nominee has advised them not to vote for the issue in order to gain a political advantage.
However, Democrats faced challenges in retaining support from within their own party as well. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey voted against the bill, expressing his concerns that it “includes several provisions that will violate Americans’ shared values” and “misses key components that can go much further in solving the serious immigration problems facing our nation.”
