Democrats in the Senate are planning to force a vote on the bipartisan security package on Thursday, even though Republicans have already blocked the bill this year.
It seems to be only really a symbolic move by Democrats as they look to bolster the image of the leader of their party, President Joe Biden, as it relates to immigration issues. Voters have consistently said in polling that this is a major vulnerability for Biden as he seeks reelection in November.
The bill was originally negotiated by a group of senators from both sides of the political aisle. It was crafted to try to raise the bar for migrants to qualify for asylum and turn anyone away quickly who doesn’t meet those requirements. In addition, it seeks to reduce how many border crossings are happening right now.
The bill’s sponsors said it would do so by giving the president the power to shut down the country’s border if specific triggers are met.
Biden has endorsed the bill, but it stands little chance of actually passing through Congress.
When the legislation was introduced originally, presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump convinced enough Republicans in Congress to kill it. And Republicans in the House have already promised that even if the bill does pass through the Senate, it will be “dead on arrival.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a note to members this week that the bill is “the strongest, most comprehensive border security bill we’ve seen in a generation.”
On Monday, he increased the rhetoric, saying:
“This week, Republicans will get another chance to do the right thing. Most people agree the status quo cannot continue. Our southern border is in desperate need of more resources, and our immigration system is in serious need of repair.”
To advance out of the Senate, the bill will need the support of 60 members. And that’s not likely to happen, based on the narrow majority that liberals have in the upper chamber.
It’s not just Republicans who are bound to block the bill, though. There are some Democrats in the Senate who aren’t fully on board with the bill either.
If the bill does make it to the House, that’s where it will end. On Monday, House GOP leadership including Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer and GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik issued a statement that said:
“Should it reach the House, the bill would be dead on arrival. For more than three years now, Congressional Democrats have stood by while the Biden Administration has opened our borders to criminal drug cartels, terrorists, and untold millions of illegal immigrants.
“Now, Leader Schumer is trying to give his vulnerable members cover by bringing a vote on a bill which has already failed once in the Senate because it would actually codify many of the disastrous Biden open border policies that created this crisis in the first place.”
