House Speaker Mike Johnson joined other Republicans who already deemed the Senate's bipartisan border deal “dead over” and called the proposal “worse than expected.”
The three lead negotiators for the border security package, Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), unveiled the text of the far-reaching agreement on Sunday
But Republican infighting is likely to complicate compromise as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to submit the first procedural vote on Wednesday.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing much of the ire from opponents of the bill after he insisted last year that border policy changes be included in the funding package for embattled countries.
The 370-page text, backed by the White House, outlines $118 billion in spending, including aid to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine and securing the southern border amid rising illegal immigration.
Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Steve Daines was the first from upper chamber leadership to speak out against the bill on Monday, writing: “I cannot support a bill that fails to secure the border, taxpayer-funded lawyers for illegals Provides immigrants and gives them money.” Billions to radical open borders groups. I'm a no.'
Instead, Daines said the bill should reinstate pandemic-era Title 42, the Remain in Mexico policy and border wall construction.
When the text of the legislation was released on Sunday, President Joe Biden said in a statement: “I strongly support it.”
But Republicans, particularly those in the House of Representatives, disagree with the deal and could cause it to collapse if it goes to the House for reconciliation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Senate's $118 billion border package was “immediately dead” as he announced over the weekend that the House would pass a “clean, standalone” Israel aid bill next week will present an amount of 17 billion US dollars
Speaker Johnson said the 370-page bill unveiled Sunday was “even worse than we expected.”
“Any Republican who votes for this final open borders amnesty bill in the U.S. Senate is being paid by foreign interests and is acting like a foreign agent,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X, formerly Twitter. “What an embarrassment! Shame on you!!'
Sen. JD Vance posted: “The House will impeach Mayorkas next week, while the Senate will vote to give him broad discretion to… not enforce the border. 'Why would any Republican vote for this?'
The bill stipulates that the border must be closed if there are 5,000 encounters within a week or 8,500 migrants are encountered in a single day. But for many Republicans that doesn't go far enough.
And the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives made it clear over the weekend that the package has no support in the House.
“I have seen enough,” Speaker Johnson (R-Ky.) wrote on X. “This bill is even worse than we expected and will not come close to ending the border disaster the President has caused.”
“As the lead Democratic negotiator proclaimed, under this law 'the border never closes,'” Johnson added. “If this bill gets to the House of Representatives, it will die immediately.”
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote, “Let me be clear: the Senate border bill will NOT receive a vote in the House.”
“This is what the people pushing this 'deal' aren't telling you: It admits 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and automatically issues work permits to asylum seekers – a magnet for more illegal immigration,” he added.
In addition, several progressives are also expected to oppose the plan — like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who said Sunday that he opposed the package because of its funding of Israel.
And pro-immigrant and Hispanic lawmakers are seeking an immigration overhaul.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) called the bill a “new version of Trump-era policies that will lead to more chaos at the border.”
The White House intervened in border negotiations in the Senate, with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveling to Capitol Hill for talks even as the House simultaneously launched an impeachment inquiry against him.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the Senate border bill will not be voted on in the House – as the Senate moves forward with voting on Wednesday
Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene said the bill was “embarrassing” and called any Republican colleagues who would vote for its passage “foreign agents.”
In December, the U.S. had the highest number of migrants apprehended at the U.S. border with Mexico, as more than 302,000 were detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Former President Donald Trump called on Congress to abandon the agreement before the text was released over the weekend.
He criticized the deal in posts on Truth Social in recent weeks, saying the “terrible” bill was being used by Democrats to shift the “border disaster” onto the “shoulders of Republicans.”
“There is no chance that I will support this terrible open border betrayal of America,” Trump said at a rally last weekend. “A lot of senators try to blame me.” I say, “That’s okay, please blame me.” “I’d rather have no bill than a bad bill.”
Republican colleagues argue that Democrats rushed to pass anything too quickly in an election year in which one of Biden's biggest pitfalls was dealing with the ongoing crisis at the southern border.
Republican Senator James Lankford, independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy led negotiations on the package – and they kept the text secret until Sunday's unveiling. Lankford (pictured) was censured by his home state's Republican Party last month
President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday that he “strongly supports” the sweeping bill.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and several other Senate GOP hardliners said a “single weekend” to consider the massive bill “doesn't count” and are calling for more time to interview witnesses and review the text before a vote.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called it the “oldest game in town” by introducing the most important bill before a recess or holiday, but “hopes” Speaker Johnson will give the bill a “fair shake.” if passed by the Senate.
But Johnson announced Saturday that the House would separately introduce a “clean, standalone” $17 billion Israel aid bill next week, as the Senate prepares to advance its additional package.
The Senate's massive package includes $6 billion to CBP for security operations and investigations related to “waves of migration along the southwest border” and “counterfentanyl activities.”
But over $40 billion is allocated for “response to the situation” in Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.
It also includes a provision that would deny funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following controversy over the involvement of many staff members in Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
Biden supports the legislation.
“Now we have reached agreement on a bipartisan national security agreement that includes the toughest and fairest border reforms in decades.” “I strongly support it,” he wrote in a Sunday statement.
The president added: “It will make our country safer, make our border more secure, treat people fairly and humanely while maintaining legal immigration, consistent with our values as a nation.”
He continued to hope that Republicans would stop “playing politics” with the border.
“I have made my decision. I am ready to solve the problem. I am ready to secure the border. And so are the American people. “I know we have our divisions at home, but we must not allow partisan politics to compromise our responsibilities as a great nation,” he added.
The White House insists the deal will introduce “the toughest and fairest border security reforms we have ever had in our country” and give Biden new executive powers to “close the border.”
Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Monday's daily briefing that Speaker Mike Johnson must “step in” and provide the “authorities” needed to secure the border.
But Johnson said Biden can take executive action to reverse the “catastrophe” at the border “immediately” — and doesn’t need help from Congress to do so.
He said Biden had “falsely claimed” he needed Congress to pass a new law to allow the southern border to be closed. “He knows this is untrue,” Johnson said in a statement.
Biden said in a written statement that the deal would give him “new emergency authority” to close the border. He added: “And if I were given that power, I would use it the day I sign the bill.”
Trump also insisted that Congress does not need to pass laws and that the executive branch already has the powers it needs to secure the border.
“I had the safest, most secure border in US history.” I didn't need a “Bill!” They are using this terrible Senate bill to shift the BORDER DISASTER onto the shoulders of Republicans. The Democrats have breached the border, they should repair it. NO LEGISLATION IS NEEDED, IT'S ALREADY HERE!!!' He wrote about Truth Social.
Johnson said the House would not pass the bill unless it ended the catch-and-release program and reinstated the Remain in Mexico program.
Former President Donald Trump is calling on Congress to abandon the agreement before the text of the treaty has even been released
An aerial view of the area as migrants walk along barbed wire after crossing the Rio Grande into the United States on January 28, 2024
“It's interesting that four months ago Republicans didn't provide Ukraine with funding for Israel and our southern border because we demanded changes in policy.” So we actually closed our arms and said: We're not going to give you any money for this . “We want to change the law,” Sen. James Lankford, D-Oklahoma, said on Fox News over the weekend.
“A few months later, when we finally get to the end, they say, 'Oh, just kidding.' “I actually don’t want to make any changes to the law in a presidential election year,” he continued.
At home, Lankford was reprimanded over the weekend by the Oklahoma Republican Party, which threatened to withdraw support for him if he didn't “stop endangering the safety and freedom of the people of Oklahoma.”
'The fact that [Trump] “Would tell Republican senators that he doesn't want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really appalling,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters last week.
“If we fail to pass this, I will file the exact same bill if Trump wins and we have the majority in the Senate.” I guarantee you that anyone who is against it will. It's all about politics and not having the courage to respectfully contradict President Trump and tell him, “This will help him.” “He's requested it before,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
“I didn't come here to have a president as my boss or a candidate as my boss.” I came here to pass good, solid policies that help a president who means business [about] Securing the border.'
Lankford vehemently disputed Trump's claim that the agreement would lead to “open borders” – and reported that it would allow up to 5,000 passersby per day before immediate expulsion was possible.
“It would be absolutely absurd for me to agree to 5,000 people a day.” “This bill is focused on ensuring that we stop illegal border crossings on a daily basis,” he said.
The Oklahoma Republican insisted the deal would increase the number of border agents and asylum officers, increase the number of detention beds, end catch-and-release, increase the number of deportation flights and speed up asylum review.
“It's a closure of the border and everyone is actually being turned around.” Okay, that's the focus we have right now. “How can we actually intervene in this administration so that the people around the area don’t let the people in,” he said.