Arrr, me hearties! Speaker Johnson be all set to celebrate the potential downfall of Senate's border deal. Huzzah, bring it on!
2024-02-06
Arr! House Speaker Mike Johnson be takin' a jolly victory lap on Tuesday, as the Senate's scurvy border bill be seemin' to go down in flames! Avast ye, mateys!
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed his satisfaction with the dysfunction in the Senate over the border security and supplemental aid bill. He has been vocal about his opposition to the bipartisan deal, declaring it "dead on arrival" multiple times. Johnson stated that Republicans cannot vote for the bill in good conscience and welcome the potential jeopardy it faces in the Senate. He believes that the issue of border security must be addressed in a manner that actually solves the problem.Republican opposition to the Senate's bipartisan deal started slowly but quickly gained momentum, turning into an avalanche of criticism. Democrats have accused Republicans of going back on their own request for border policy changes in exchange for supporting aid to Ukraine. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the opposition a "dramatic transformation in Republican thought." Schumer also accused House Republicans of opposing the deal solely because former President Trump was against it, a claim that Johnson denies.
Johnson responded to these accusations by highlighting specific points in the bill that he opposes. He mentioned expanding work authorizations for illegal aliens, which threatens American workers' wages and acts as a pull factor for illegal immigration. He also criticized the endorsement of the Biden administration's catch and release policy and the loopholes in the shutdown authority. Johnson believes that these provisions undermine the efforts to address the border crisis.
Meanwhile, Schumer has scheduled a cloture vote on the package for Wednesday, but at least 25 senators, including three Democrats, have pledged to vote against it. The opposition to the bill remains strong, and the outcome of the vote is uncertain.