Increased Opposition Leads to Broader Failure
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s second attempt to advance a comprehensive border policy package has failed, facing even broader opposition than the first attempt. Both Republicans and Democrats increased their resistance to the legislation.
Campaign Arms Target Opponents
Senate campaign arms on both sides have begun blaming the opposition for the ongoing border issues, using the predictable outcome of the vote to score political points. Meanwhile, Biden administration officials have indicated that the president will soon take executive action to address border issues ahead of the upcoming November election.
Bipartisan Negotiations and Legislative History
The border policy package was a result of bipartisan negotiations last winter between Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.). Initially, it was linked to foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, but after the first vote failed, foreign aid passed independently. Murphy reintroduced the border package as a standalone bill this month.
Key Senators Flip Their Votes
Several senators who initially supported the legislation flipped to oppose it this time, including Sinema, Lankford, Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.).
Provisions of the Border Package
The proposed legislation aimed to heighten standards for asylum seekers and speed up processing times for claims. It also included provisions for an automatic shutdown authority at the southern border if daily crossings exceeded certain thresholds. These closure powers are expected to be part of the president’s upcoming executive actions.
Republican Criticism and Calls for Executive Action
Despite previous support, Republicans like Lankford criticized Senate Democrats for bringing the bill to the floor, calling it a blatant campaign messaging tactic. They have urged President Biden to use his executive powers to address the border crisis, while Schumer defended the bill as a bipartisan solution.
“To my Republican colleagues, you wanted this border bill. … It’s time to show you’re serious about solving the problem,” Schumer said before the vote on Thursday.
McConnell and GOP Leaders Oppose the Bill
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell initially supported the border policy negotiations but later opposed the bill. He, along with other Republicans, criticized Senate Democrats’ efforts.
“The solution is a president who’s willing to exercise the authority, to use the tools he already has,” McConnell said. “If Senate Democrats wanted to start fixing the crisis tomorrow, they would be urging the president to do exactly that.”
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