Senate Blocks Bipartisan Border Bill, House GOP Denounces It As Immigration Measure

The Senate voted 43-50 against advancing a border bill backed by some Democrats and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The bill, which was negotiated in a bipartisan nature by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and James Lankford, R-Okla., failed to garner enough support.

The Senate on Thursday failed to advance a bipartisan border bill, marking a setback for efforts to address the ongoing crisis at the southern border. The measure, which had garnered support from some Democrats and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was ultimately unsuccessful in advancing to the next stage of debate.

The vote, which fell short of the necessary 60 to move forward, underscored the deep divisions that remain on the issue of border security. The bill had been negotiated in a bipartisan manner by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and James Lankford, R-Okla. However, both Lankford and Sinema ultimately voted against the measure, a departure from their previous votes.

In a speech ahead of the vote, Sinema denounced political theater on both sides of the aisle, hitting Republicans for turning their back on the bill and Democrats for choosing to bring it up again without working to gain support.

"Today, the Senate is proving what many Americans already think about Congress: that Senators come here for political games, not to deliver results," Sinema said in a statement.

Lankford also slammed Democrats on the floor for reviving the bill for what he said was a political purpose.

"We all know the situation at the border is unacceptable and demands attention from Congress," Schumer told his colleagues prior to the vote. "Democrats believe that, Republicans have been saying it, and that’s why three months ago we sat down with them to write a strong and necessary and bipartisan border security bill."

Several Republicans held a press conference on Wednesday, during which they shredded the forthcoming vote, even claiming the measure was "worse than doing nothing" because of certain immigration provisions. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., slammed the planned vote as an "election year political stunt" to protect several vulnerable incumbent Democrats in swing states.

Prior to the vote, House leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Republican conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said the bill would not see the light of day in the lower chamber. According to them, it would be "dead on arrival."

Instead, the leaders of Republicans in the House pointed to the H.R. 2 border legislation that was previously sent to the Senate and includes many GOP priorities as it relates to the southern border.

Schumer rejected calls to take up H.R. 2, on Thursday, claiming, "If anything is political theater, it’s H.R. 2. It's not designed to solve the problem. It's designed to make a political point."

The measure initially failed a procedural hurdle in February by a vote of 49-50, falling short of the necessary 60. Between then and now, the bill lost support from both Democrats and Republicans.

The failure of the Senate to advance the border bill is a major setback for efforts to address the crisis at the southern border. The Biden administration has been criticized for its handling of the situation, which has seen a surge in illegal crossings and a spike in the number of apprehensions.

The failure of the bipartisan border bill also highlights the deep divisions that persist on the issue of immigration. Republicans have long argued for a more restrictive approach, while Democrats have pushed for reforms that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

With the midterm elections approaching, the issue of immigration is likely to remain a contentious one. It remains to be seen whether Congress will be able to reach a compromise on a bipartisan border security bill before the end of the year.