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A bi-partisan, conservative bill to reform immigration and enhance border security may be dead on arrival. The bill, which would be the first substantive immigration reform legislation in nearly 40 years, is facing stiff Republican pushback.
That pushback comes despite the fact that the bill’s main author is one of the most conservative Republicans in the US Senate.
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma joined forces with Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut to reach a compromise on immigration. That compromise would increase funding for border patrol agents and border security technology.
It would also increase personnel to more quickly process amnesty requests, while toughening amnesty requirements. The proposal would also give the President authority to shut down parts of the border when the system becomes overwhelmed.
All of these are demands Republican legislators have been calling for from the Biden administration for years. Now, however, they appear poised to cast it all aside for one reason: Trump told them to.
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Republicans seem to cave to Trump ahead of possible border bill vote
“Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill,” Trump posted on Truth Social over the weekend.
Trump’s allies who have been calling for a border security bill, quickly sided instead with the former president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X (Twitter) that the bill is “worse than we expected” just moments after the 370 page document was released Sunday night.
“If this bill reaches the House, it will be dead on arrival,” said the Speaker, who demanded border security reforms just last month.
John Barrasso, a Republican Senator from Wyoming, said Tuesday he “cannot vote for this bill”. Barrasso then punted the duty of resolving the issue back onto the American public.
“Americans will turn to the upcoming election to end the border crisis,” he said.
Of course, if Barrasso and other Republicans stall this effort, that would mean no action would be taken on the “border crisis” for at least nine more months.
Biden urges Trump allies to “show some spine” and vote to secure the Southern Border
Biden, for his part, expressed disappointment with Republicans choosing to block this historic, bi-partisan agreement.
In a speech Tuesday, Biden said the bill includes “the most fair, humane reforms in our immigration system in a long time.”
The President went on to note the bill also includes “the toughest set of reforms to secure the border ever.”
Biden remarked on the four months of work between Senators Lankford and Murphy to reach an agreement. “Now,” he said, “all indications are this bill won’t even move forward to the Senate floor. Why? A simple reason: Because Donald Trump thinks it’s bad for him politically.”
The President urged GOP Senators and House members to set aside their allegiance to Trump and vote to help solve the border crisis.
“Frankly, they owe it to the American people to show some spine, and do what they know to be right,” Biden said.