CNN
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The Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on a border security bill that split the Democratic caucus and failed earlier this year, exposing rifts within the party despite efforts to change the talking point on border security. There is.
Immigration remains a top concern for voters, with the White House and Democratic Party leaders weighing in on a series of measures to strengthen border security ahead of the first presidential debate scheduled for next month. We’ve had discussions. The talks also include reinstating border security measures that have been stalled since former President Donald Trump told Republican lawmakers to reverse them, sources said, which initially failed.
Democrats point to the failure of the bipartisan-negotiated bill to argue that Republicans are not serious about resolving the problems at the southern border and are ready to intensify their debate after the bill predictably stalled for a second time.
But because Ukraine has no ties to the measure, some Democrats and immigration advocates see it as purely political and have objected to key parts of the bill, one of the toughest border measures in recent history, a move that threatens to undermine messaging efforts from Democrats and the White House.
“I will not support the bill coming before the Senate this week because it contains provisions that run counter to the shared values of the American people. These provisions will not make us safer,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, said in a statement Tuesday.
Booker voted to move the bill forward in February when it failed 49-50. In a statement, Booker noted that the bill also included “significant foreign aid and humanitarian assistance” when it was first passed.
Republicans have largely dismissed the vote as a political move by Democrats seeking political cover on key issues ahead of the November election.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged in a letter to colleagues over the weekend that not all Democrats would vote for the bill. Sixty votes are needed to defeat the Republican filibuster attempt. Democrats only have 51 total votes, and most Republicans have already said they plan to vote against the effort.
The border bill came up as a hot topic at a closed-door Democratic lunch on Tuesday as senators debated the merits of bringing up legislation that hasn’t already been passed by the Senate. A source at the meeting told CNN that while the majority was supportive, there was also resistance.
Sen. Alex Padilla, who initially opposed the bill, said he plans to vote against the measure on the floor Thursday.
“We must also remember that the last time we were here, many said this was the price they were willing to pay for funding Ukraine. That is no longer the case,” Padilla said. he said, acknowledging that something needed to be done to address border issues. “This should not be the starting point for border security by Democrats.”
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said the fact there may be internal backlash galvanizes some moderates. “Frankly, the fact that some of the most progressive members of Congress did not vote for this is evidence, in my opinion, that this was a truly tough bipartisan bill.” said.
If passed, the bill would represent the first dramatic changes to immigration law in decades, including the creation of new emergency authorities to restrict border crossings when average daily migrant contacts reach certain levels, raising the legal proof standards for passing initial asylum claims, and expediting the timeline for processing asylum claims.
Most Republicans believe the vote is primarily meant to send a message for Democrats.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters Thursday that she voted for the previous bill but plans to vote against it this time.
“If you were serious about it, you wouldn’t be voting at 2 p.m. on a Thursday when everyone was rushing out of town,” she said.
But Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who previously voted in favor of the bill, called the process “foolish” but indicated she may support the bill again.
“If we thought voting was enough before, what has changed?” Murkowski said. “Please explain to people who aren’t in this building what’s going on? They think we’re crazy.”
But Republican Sen. James Lankford, the lead negotiator for the border bill, said Thursday he plans to vote against the bill. “This isn’t a bill anymore. It’s a prop,” he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday.
Democrats are trying to shift the blame for poor border security to Republicans, citing the party’s decision to withdraw from measures such as restricting the ability of migrants to seek asylum at the U.S. southern border.
The message was a win in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which was won by Democrats in February. Rep. Tom Suozzi won his seat by going on the immigration front.
The lack of foreign aid and the inclusion of what some immigrant advocates describe as sharp policies have led to growing criticism.
“It is unconscionable and deeply disappointing that Senator Murphy is defending these completely ineffective policies and Senator Schumer, home of the Statue of Liberty, is pushing this vote,” Robin Bernard, senior director of refugee advocacy at Human Rights First, told CNN.
“What is the excuse for adopting anti-immigrant policies now when the American people were told earlier this year that these tough policies were necessary to secure funding for Ukraine?” Bernard said.
The pressure on Congress also reflects the limited tools the administration has at its disposal to influence the situation on the ground in the coming months.
“Any administration recognizes that there are limits to what executive action can do in this area,” said a senior government official. “What we really need here, and what we continue to ask for, is for Congress to do its job and take up and pass a bipartisan border security bill in the Senate.”
Administration officials are bracing for a possible summer surge in border crossings, as they usually do, and have rolled out a series of policy changes to try to discourage migrants from traveling to the U.S. and convince skeptical voters that they are committed to tightening restrictions.
“All the factors that have caused this unprecedented movement of people around the world remain in place and we remain highly vigilant and are working around the clock to put in place policies that will mitigate the impact on our borders,” the official said.
Sources said discussions are underway on implementing border enforcement measures, with one consideration being to implement them after Mexico’s elections in early June, possibly before the first presidential debate.
Democrats say this is all part of a broader strategy to remind voters that there is a plan.
“Moderates are prepared to change their views on Democrats and border security once people know we have the strongest bipartisan border bill in generations and are prepared to take real, tough measures. “We’ve got some pretty encouraging polling showing that,” said Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii.
“This is a good bill and we need to respond. That’s our job. Let’s take it up,” said Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
CNN’s Sam Fossum contributed to this report.
