A bipartisan group of senators has finally released the text of a sweeping supplemental immigration and security deal, but Republican intraparty warfare is likely to complicate its passage.
The $118 billion deal, backed by the White House, includes billions in aid to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine as well as to secure the southern border amid a surge in illegal migration. President Biden said in a statement on Sunday: “I wholeheartedly support it.”
Biden administration officials, including Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas became involved in the Capitol Hill talks in mid-December – the month that saw the highest number of migrant arrests of all time at the US-Mexico border at more than 302,000.
It includes $6 billion to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for security enforcement and investigations “related to migration flows along the Southwest border and fentanyl response activities.”
The 370-page text comes after Senate Republicans expressed their frustrations and even accused their colleagues of opposing the border bill because of election-year politics and acting too quickly.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and several other Republican hardliners in the Senate have said a “single weekend” to review the massive bill “doesn’t count” and demanded more time to interview witnesses and examine the text before a vote. .
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called it the “oldest game in town,” making the most important piece of legislation come before a recess or holiday, but “hopes” Speaker Mike Johnson will give the bill a “fair shake” if it passes the Senate is adopted.
Johnson announced Saturday that the House will separately consider a “clean, standalone” Israeli aide worth $17 billion next week, as the Senate prepares to advance his supplemental package.
Speaker Johnson announced Saturday that the House will separately consider a “clean, self-employed” Israeli aide worth $17 billion next week
Former President Donald Trump is urging Congress to cancel the deal before the text of the deal is even released
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a leader in the border talks, was censured last month by his home state GOP
He previously threatened that the Senate border security deal would be “dead on arrival” in the House of Representatives and that any bill allowing “even one illegal crossing” is “a non-starter.”
President Biden voiced his support for the legislation, saying Sunday that he “strongly” supports it.
“Now we have agreed to a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I wholeheartedly support it.’
“It will make our country safer, our borders more secure, treat people fairly and humanely, while maintaining legal immigration, consistent with our values as a nation.”
He also said he hopes Republicans will stop “playing politics” with the border.
‘I have made my decision. I’m ready to solve the problem. I’m ready to secure the border. And that goes for the American people too. “I know we have divisions at home, but we cannot allow party politics to get in the way of our responsibilities as a great nation,” he added.
Former President Donald Trump also urged Congress to abandon the deal before the text of the deal was even released.
Trump denounced the deal in a post on Truth Social in recent weeks, saying the “horrific” bill is being used by Democrats to put the “border disaster” on the “shoulders of Republicans.”
“There is zero chance that I will support this terrible open-borders betrayal of America,” Trump also said about the deal at a rally last weekend.
“A lot of senators are trying to blame me,” he continued. “I say, ‘that’s OK, please blame me.’ I’d rather have no bill than a bad bill.’
But the White House insists the deal will achieve “the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border that our country has ever had” and give Biden new executive authority to “close the border.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday during the daily briefing that Speaker Mike Johnson must “step up” and provide the “authorities” needed to secure the border.
But Johnson has said Biden could take executive action to reverse the “catastrophe” at the border “immediately” — and that he does not need Congress’ help.
He has said Biden has “falsely claimed” he needs Congress to pass a new law that would allow him to close the southern border.
“He knows this is not true,” Johnson said in a statement.
Biden said in a written statement that the deal would give him “a new emergency authority” to close the border. He added: “And if I were given that power, I would use it the day I sign the bill.”
But Trump insisted that Congress did not need to pass legislation — that the executive branch already has the authority needed to secure the border.
“I had the most secure border in American history. I didn’t have a ‘Bill!’ They are using this horrific Senate bill as a way to put the BORDER DISASTER on the shoulders of Republicans. The Democrats broke the border, they should fix it. NO LEGISLATION NEEDED, IT IS ALREADY THERE!!!’ he wrote on Truth Social.
Johnson said the House will not take up the legislation unless the catch-and-release program is ended and the Remain in Mexico program is reinstated.
An aerial view of the area as migrants walk past barbed wire after crossing the Rio Grande into the United States on January 28, 2024
“It’s interesting that four months ago, Republicans wouldn’t provide funding for Ukraine, Israel and our southern border because we were demanding policy changes. So we linked arms and said, we’re not going to give you any money for this. We want to change the law,” Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said on Fox News this weekend.
“A few months later, when we finally get to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m just kidding.’ “I don’t really want to make any changes to the law because of the presidential election year,” he continued.
At home, Lankford was criticized this weekend by the Oklahoma Republican Party, which threatened to withdraw support from him if he did not “cease endangering the safety and freedom of the people of Oklahoma.”
“The fact that (Trump) would communicate to Republican senators … that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really abhorrent,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, recently told reporters. week.
“If we can’t get this passed, I’m going to introduce the exact same bill if Trump wins and we have a Senate majority. I guarantee everyone who is against it. It’s all about politics and not about having the courage to respectfully disagree with President Trump and tell him, “This will help him.” He has asked for it before,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
“I didn’t come here to have a president as a boss or a candidate as a boss. “I came here to pass good, solid policies that will help a president who is serious about securing the border.”
Lankford eagerly disputed Trump’s claim that the deal would lead to “open borders” – reporting that up to 5,000 crossings could take place per day before immediate deportation would be allowed.
‘It would be absolutely absurd for me to agree to 5,000 people per day. “This bill is aimed at ensuring that we no longer have illegal crossings every day,” he said.
The Oklahoma Republican emphasized that the deal would increase the number of border agents and asylum officials, increase detention beds, end catch and release, increase the number of deportation flights and speed up the screening of asylum seekers.
“It’s a border closure and basically everyone gets turned around. Okay, that’s the focus we have right now. How can we actually intervene in this government so that people in the area don’t let people in,” he said.