Border bill fails in the Senate again
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The Senate has failed again to pass a border security bill after Republicans and some Democrats tanked the latest effort Thursday.
The effort was never expected to pass with Democrats taking the chance to paint Republicans as being unserious about fixing the southern border.
“Do they want to fix this so-called emergency? Or do they want to show Blind allegiance to the former president, even when they know he’s wrong?” asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A previous bipartisan attempt earlier this year died after opposition from former president Donald Trump.
Republicans decried Thursday’s move by Democrats as political theater.
“Today is a prop. Today is a political messaging exercise” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Thursday’s 43-50 vote fell well short of the sixty yeas needed to pass with some Democrats joining nearly all Republicans in opposition.
“We had hoped that Republicans having supported this bill, for once would put aside politics and rise to the occasion,” said Schumer.
With less than 6 months before the election, Democrats are now trying to play offense on border issues as Republicans tie the border crisis directly to President Joe Biden.
“If Senate Democrats wanted to start fixing the crisis tomorrow, they would be urging the president to do exactly that,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Following the failed vote Thursday, the president said he was committed to fixing the failed immigration system, even as Democrats try to overcome the political liability that problem poses.
“The reason why we brought this bill and can continue to bring this bill is because this solves the problem,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.).
Congress doesn’t return to Washington until June and it’s unclear whether they’ll make another attempt at border security before the election.
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