The text of the border legislation being hammered out between lawmakers and the Biden administration was finally released by Senate negotiators on Sunday and House Republicans have already declared it “dead on arrival.”
The long-awaited bipartisan deal to address the disaster at the U.S.-Mexico border is part of the larger supplemental spending bill that includes billions in aid to Ukraine and Israel. Negotiations with the White House that resulted in the 370-page bill were led by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).
“The deal includes provisions to raise standards for asylum screening and to process claims faster, ends the practice known as “catch and release,” and provides a new authority to close the border to most migrants when crossings reach a set threshold. It also seeks to make it easier for migrants to get work authorization and eliminate the immigration court backlog,” according to The Hill.
“The full supplemental — which includes funds for the border, Israel and Ukraine aid, and other foreign policy priorities — totals $118 billion, with about $20 billion going to the border component,” The Hill reported.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the bill “a monumental step towards strengthening America’s national security abroad and along our borders,” and said he would bring it to the floor this week.
“This is one of the most necessary and important pieces of legislation Congress has put forward in years to ensure America’s future prosperity and security,” he said Sunday.
President Joe Biden pressed lawmakers to pass the bill while jabbing House Republicans who have been less than enthusiastic about it.
“Now we’ve reached an agreement on a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I strongly support it,” he said in a statement. “Now, House Republicans have to decide. Do they want to solve the problem? Or do they want to keep playing politics with the border?”
But House Republicans are not budging as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) promised the bill would be “dead on arrival” if it gets to the lower chamber of Congress.
I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, “the border never closes.”
If this bill reaches the House, it will be…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 5, 2024
“I’m a little confused how it’s worse than they expected when it builds border wall, expands deportation flights, expands ICE officers, border patrol officers, detention beds how it creates a faster process for deportations, clears up a lot of the long-term issues and loopholes that have existed in the asylum law and then gets us an emergency authority that stops the chaos right now on the border,” Lankford said in response when speaking wth reporters.
But the bill which legislation will cost just over $118 billion, and provide 50,000 new visas, according to Fox News, was met with anything but open arms by Republicans who vowed it will not pass the House.
Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House.
Here’s what the people pushing this “deal” aren’t telling you: It accepts 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and gives automatic work permits to asylum recipients—a magnet for more illegal immigration.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 5, 2024
The Senate just released 370 pages of absolute trash.
Amnesty will never be a policy that I can support.
Not today. Not tomorrow.
Shameful that this would even be considered.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 5, 2024
Senate GOP leadership screwed this up—and screwed us. Even while refusing to let us see the bill they claimed to be negotiating on our behalf—for MONTHS—they were never in doubt, insisting we’d be dumb and even unpatriotic NOT to support it. This is a disqualifying betrayal. https://t.co/PZnI6KorFK
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) February 5, 2024
The Senate bill is awful! America, read from pages 212 to 217, and you will see why. There have to be 41 Republican Senators who will say NO to this monstrosity. @SpeakerJohnson, this bill should never get a vote in the House! pic.twitter.com/C92OWB3IKk
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 5, 2024
The Senate border bill is the worst idea on border “security”— EVER.
Frankly, it makes matters worse than they already are. It is a disaster.
Hard to believe, but this is even more terrible than the old Gang of Eight legislation.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) February 5, 2024
We are reviewing the 370 page Senate bill – BUT, this is a Democrat ploy to try to save their hide electorally by pushing a bill that has no chance to be law, so they can blame the GOP after endangering Americans with open borders. Do not accept the premise. #NoSenateBorderDeal
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) February 5, 2024
Any Republican voting for this Senate America last open border amnesty bill must be paid off by foreign interests and is acting as a foreign agent.
What an embarrassment!
Shame on them!! https://t.co/pNo3cXSCWO
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 5, 2024