In a letter to his colleagues released on Sunday night, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced his intention to bring the bipartisan border deal, which was negotiated earlier this year by a group of Senators, back up on the floor for a standalone vote this week.
In a renewed effort to address the situation at the Southern border, Senate Democrats are pushing for another vote on this legislation, with an eye towards the upcoming 2024 election.
“We believe that this bipartisan proposal will encourage Republicans who are serious about finding a solution for our border to come back to the negotiation table,” Schumer expressed in a letter to fellow lawmakers. “I must admit, however, that not all Democrats may support this legislation. There are some provisions in this bill that not all of our colleagues agree with, and I don’t expect every Republican to endorse every single provision either. Nevertheless, this is often the route that must be taken when crafting bipartisan legislation to address the intricacies and political sensitivities surrounding our country’s immigration laws.”
The chances of having a vote on this legislation now resulting in a different outcome are highly unlikely.
Senators Chris Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema, and James Lankford worked together for several months to negotiate the bipartisan border bill. This legislation was a result of Senate Republicans expressing their stance on advancing further aid to Ukraine, stating that they would only support it if provisions were put in place to strengthen the southern border.
Lawmakers spent months negotiating the legislation, working diligently behind the scenes. However, the bill faced immediate rejection by the majority of the Senate Republican conference, following the urging of former President Donald Trump. The proposed legislation included modifications to parole and asylum provisions.
In a letter, Schumer highlighted that the former President chose to prioritize his campaign over finding a bipartisan solution to the issue. Schumer noted that many Republican colleagues quickly changed their stance and voiced their opposition to the bipartisan proposal.
Senate Republicans eventually changed their decision and approved funding for Ukraine without including any provisions for the border. As a result, Schumer announced that there will be a separate vote solely focused on the border bill, without any additional elements accompanying it.
Senate Republicans who were interviewed by ABC News last week stated that their perspective on voting for the border bill would not change if Schumer decided to bring it back up.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, had been a strong advocate for the bipartisan border discussions. However, he ultimately voted against advancing the final product in February. According to Tillis, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is now attempting to divert attention away from the border crisis, which Tillis believes is a direct result of President Biden’s actions.
According to Tillis, it’s important to be realistic about the situation. He argues that the poll numbers are indicating a significant backlash against Biden for the border failure. Schumer’s response, Tillis suggests, is an attempt to downplay the severity of the issue. However, Tillis firmly believes that the failure is real and that Schumer knows his proposed legislation will not gain traction.
