The Senate could not advance a bipartisan border security measure for the second time on Thursday. This measure was initially blocked by Republicans earlier this year, following former President Donald Trump’s opposition to it.
The measure failed to advance in the upper chamber with a vote of 43 to 50, falling short of the 60 votes required.
As predicted, the result was not surprising, and Democrats are strategically utilizing the Republicans’ opposition to sway public opinion in their favor. Recent polls indicate that voters are expressing dissatisfaction with President Biden’s approach to immigration. It is important to note that border security has emerged as a key focus of the Republican agenda leading up to the upcoming November election.
“The distinction between Democrats and Republicans is evident now and will be even more pronounced in November. Democrats are determined to address the border issue and take action. Republicans, on the other hand, seem content with delivering speeches and allowing the border situation to worsen, without any intention of actually resolving the problem,” remarked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, on Thursday afternoon.
According to Schumer, Republicans have failed to provide a valid reason for their lack of support for the bill, other than being instructed by Donald Trump to completely change their stance.
According to Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat, those Republicans who opposed the measure made a conscious decision to maintain the chaos at the border, and as a result, they are now responsible for this crisis.
During a news conference held on Wednesday, Senator Schatz expressed his frustration towards his Republican colleagues. He highlighted their previous insistence on the Democrats taking decisive action regarding the border issue.
According to the speaker, he acknowledges that some of the Republicans he holds in high regard were quite insistent in their views, which led to the consideration of their opinions. As a result, a legislation was crafted, although not entirely favored by the speaker, but deemed strong enough to accomplish its purpose. However, these Republicans unexpectedly withdrew their support due to the influence of Donald Trump.
The border bill
After months of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats came to a compromise in February, marking a significant step towards a comprehensive border security policy overhaul. This agreement would have granted the president extensive powers to curb unlawful border crossings and strengthen asylum regulations, alongside other crucial provisions.
Republicans have made the case that the president possesses the authority to halt the influx of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, contending that the bipartisan agreement to enhance his powers would have limited impact.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, expressed his frustration on Thursday, stating that regardless of the laws in place, they are rendered ineffective if the administration fails to enforce them.
In a statement issued following Thursday’s vote, Mr. Biden criticized Republicans for prioritizing partisan politics over the national security of our country.
According to the speaker, Congressional Republicans lack concern for securing the border or addressing America’s broken immigration system. He asserts that if they genuinely cared, they would have supported the implementation of the most stringent border enforcement measures in history. Furthermore, he emphasizes his commitment to taking decisive steps towards remedying the flaws in the immigration system.
House Republican leadership expressed their strong opposition to the bill, stating that it would be “dead on arrival” in the lower chamber if it managed to pass the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, dismissed the vote as a futile effort and described it as an attempt to make a desperate move in an election year.
Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, along with Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, worked together to negotiate the compromise measure.
Lankford, who was among the four Republicans who voted in favor of advancing the measure back in February, has now changed his stance and is no longer supporting it. He refers to it as a mere “prop.”
During the debate on the bill, he expressed his opinion that today’s proceedings were merely a political messaging exercise. He believed that such exercises do not contribute to the betterment of the country.
He urged Democrats and Republicans to persist in their efforts to find a bipartisan solution.
Sinema described the procedural vote as “political theater” and “a show vote that only aims to shift blame onto the opposing party.”
“We are not walking away from this situation with a political triumph,” she expressed. “There are no winners here, and no one gains the upper hand. Instead, we are essentially telling one another not to take action. We are urging each other to stay entrenched in our own partisan positions.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, responded to criticism regarding the vote, dismissing claims that it was solely intended to enhance the messaging of the Democrats on the border issue.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Blumenthal emphasized that the vote holds significance beyond just a message. He stated that it will yield measurable outcomes in terms of border security.
In a later floor speech, Blumenthal highlighted that Republicans had previously declined to support the measure back in February. He attributed their reluctance to a desire to campaign on border issues.
According to the Democratic Senator, it is clear that their Republican colleagues are now claiming that politics is the reason for the current situation. However, he points out that it is actually their own politics that have led them to this point. He specifically references the presumptive presidential nominee from their party, who has encouraged them to vote against certain measures for their own political advantage.
However, as Democrats attempt to shift the blame onto Republicans, they also faced a loss of support within their own party. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, for instance, voted against the bill, stating 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.”
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