'Worse than doing nothing': GOP rips into Schumer-backed border bill
Senate Republicans tore into Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats for reviving a "sham" border bill, which was already rejected by the GOP conference, for another test vote this week.
A group of Republican lawmakers, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., held a press conference Wednesday as they prepare for the Senate to once again consider the border bill.
"This bill is worse than doing nothing," explained Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who pointed to several issues with the Democrat-backed bill.
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He noted that rather than focusing on fortifying the border, the measure would "more efficiently encounter, process, and disperse illegal migrants," which the Wisconsin Republican described as counterproductive.
Several of the Republican senators reiterated that President Biden currently has all the authority necessary to strengthen and secure the southern border, claiming he just is not willing to do so.
In fact, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., pointed out that "they bragged about undoing" former President Trump's border policies via executive action.
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The senators additionally criticized their Democratic counterparts for failing to take up a House-backed border bill that addresses Republican priorities, known as H.R. 2. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., called the measure a "great solution" that the Democrats are unwilling to work on.
Per Marshall, Americans will not be convinced by the Democrats' attempt to flip the script on the southern people, noting that citizens are not "stupid."
"They see the blood on Democrats' hands," he said.
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Blackburn claimed the bill's return to the floor this week was motivated by Schumer's desire to retain the majority in the Senate and protect several vulnerable incumbents. She called it an "election year political stunt" to give the party the appearance of caring about the border and acting to fix it.
In floor remarks on Wednesday, Schumer previewed the bill's consideration on Thursday, explaining, "The only way we are going to fix the border is through bipartisan legislation."
The majority leader slammed H.R. 2, which Republicans pushed him to take up instead, calling it "a very partisan bill."
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"Our bipartisan border bill represented a real chance – in fact, the best chance in decades – to act on border security. To make a law and not just to make a political point," he claimed.
The measure is expected to fail a test vote on Thursday. It initially failed to garner 60 votes on a key procedural vote in February, dooming its potential inclusion in a foreign aid package at the time. Now, Republicans are poised to once again oppose the bill, with additional Democratic lawmakers coming out against it as well.
Democrats face one of the most difficult Senate election maps in years, with five incumbents up for re-election in some of the most competitive races in the country. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bob Casey, D-Penn., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., are each competing for survival in their respective races in swing states and red states.