Senate Democrats revive bipartisan border security bill as GOP vows to block it again
Senate Democrats are planning to force a vote this week on the bipartisan border security package that Republicans blocked earlier this year.
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats plan to force a vote Thursday on the bipartisan border security package that Republicans blocked this year, an attempt to flip the script on immigration politics, a major vulnerability for President Joe Biden.
The legislation, negotiated by Republican and Democratic senators, is designed to reduce border crossings, raise the bar for migrants to qualify for asylum and quickly turn away those who fail to meet it. It empowers the president to shut down the border if certain triggers are met. If it becomes law, it would be the most sweeping set of migration restrictions in decades. Biden has endorsed the bill.
But former President Donald Trump helped kill the legislation earlier this year and Republicans say they will block it again.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., notified members on the floor about the Thursday vote, calling it "the strongest, most comprehensive border security bill we've seen in a generation."
“This week, Republicans will get another chance to do the right thing,” Schumer said Monday. “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.”
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