Voting on a bill to fund US border security, as well as aid to Ukraine and Israel is close to collapse.
The Washington Post reports this.
The $118 billion bill, which calls for sweeping changes to the nation's asylum system and a mechanism to effectively close the border to most migrants, was unveiled after months of negotiations on the evening of February 4th.
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After a closed meeting of Republican senators, chief GOP negotiator Sen. James Lankford said Republicans would likely unite to block the legislation on Wednesday, February 7.
Senator John Thune noted that the procedural vote expected on Wednesday is “too early”.
Some Republican senators, notably Lankford, said there was discussion about whether more time would be needed to consider amendments to the bill after the vote was blocked.
— At the same time, immigration reform has proven so toxic to Republican lawmakers that reaching consensus on changing the bill in the near future seems unlikely, — writes the publication.
Earlier, House Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team said the legislation “fails” ensure border security and will contribute to increased illegal immigration.
— Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time. He is dead. We urge the US Senate to reject it, — stated in the statement.
The first vote on the bill to fund US border security and aid to Ukraine and Israel is scheduled for Wednesday, February 7th.
The bill would provide $60.1 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine, $14.1 billion in aid for Israel, and $20.2 billion to improve security at the U.S. border with Mexico. The package also includes funding for humanitarian assistance and defense operations in the Red Sea and Taiwan.
