As the U.S. Senate again failed to pass a border bill on May 23, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) lost support from members of his own caucus who had voted in favor of the bill in February.
Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) voted no on the bill this time around after supporting it in February.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who is an independent but caucuses with the Democrats, also flipped her vote from February.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), another independent who caucuses with Democrats, along with Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), voted against the bill in February and again on Thursday.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who voted against the bill in February, was absent for the vote on Thursday. Every Democrat facing a competitive reelection fight in November voted in support of the bill.
Mr. Schumer had been criticized for bringing up the vote while likely knowing it would fail again, with those opposed saying it is a political move aimed at bolstering Democrats’ messaging ahead of November elections.
Loss of Support
Mr. Booker issued a statement the day before the vote, saying that despite serious concerns with parts of the legislation, he initially supported advancing the deal to continue addressing border challenges.He emphasized the importance of the bill’s foreign and humanitarian aid, highlighting America’s commitment to global allies and those in need.
Mr. Booker condemned Senate Republicans for rejecting what he described as a bipartisan agreement under pressure from former President Donald Trump, calling it hypocritical and indicative of their lack of commitment to resolving border issues.
“I will not vote for the bill coming to the Senate floor this week because it includes several provisions that will violate Americans’ shared values,” he said in a statement before the vote. “These provisions would not make us safer. This bill also misses key components that can go much further in solving the serious immigration problems facing our nation.”
Mr. Booker criticized the bill, saying it didn’t address people seeking asylum, those brought to the United States illegally when they were children, and farmworkers. He also said the bill doesn’t address the root causes of regional migration.
Mr. Padilla, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, spoke against the bill prior to the vote and condemned “the rise in hateful rhetoric directed at immigrants.”
In his comments on the Senate floor, Mr. Padilla said the bill failed to address the fundamental causes of migration, imposed stringent asylum restrictions, and focused solely on enforcement measures, which he said would worsen issues at the southern border.
He shared the same criticism as Mr. Booker about farmworkers and people who were brought to the country illegally as children.
Mr. Markey issued a joint statement about a letter he sent to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, along with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), requesting “at least $500 million for a new Destination Reception Fund (DRF) to support new arrivals, complementing the existing FEMA Shelter and Services Program (SSP).”
He said in a post on X that this would “expand aid to communities helping new arrivals attain self-sufficiency,” adding, “We must give a more dignified welcome to those seeking safety in our country.”
Ms. Sinema said in a floor speech Thursday that the vote was purely political, rebuffing both parties for failing to act on the border. She was one of the three lead negotiators of the bill earlier this year, alongside one Democrat and Republican.
“Instead of getting back to serious discussions to fix a very real problem, the Senate held a show vote with the sole purpose of pointing fingers at the other party,” she said in a post on X. “These political games are exactly why Americans have lost faith in their elected leaders.”
The Legislation
The legislation, dubbed the Border Act of 2024, was hailed by proponents as allowing President Joe Biden additional authority to close the border and alleviate the situation by providing new funding that could help stop the flow of fentanyl into the country.“It’s a chance to show we’re serious about fixing the border,” Mr. Schumer said ahead of the vote.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Democrats’ lead negotiator on the package, rejected the claim that Democrats were pursuing the bill for political advantage, blaming Republicans with political motives seeking to kill the bill.
“I think it’s pretty ironic for a party that openly admits they killed the bill for political reasons to claim that we’re trying to pass a law for political reasons,” Mr. Murphy told reporters.
Mr. Murphy said that it was very different from the House’s H.R. 2 border security bill, which he dismissed as “transparently a partisan political exercise,” while the Senate bill, he said, is “transparently bipartisan.”
“I just think ... Republicans have zero interest in fixing the border because they can’t imagine living in a world in which the border isn’t a political issue,” Mr. Murphy said.
