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congressional hispanic caucus
House Progressives Blast Revival of 'Extreme' Border Bill by Senate Dems
"Abandon unworkable policy solutions offered by Republicans and instead work with our caucuses to craft a common-sense bipartisan bill," said Reps. Nanette Barragán and Pramila Jayapal.
May 22, 2024
Democratic leaders of two caucuses in the U.S. House of Representatives slammed the party's Senate leadership on Wednesday for trying again to pass a bipartisan border bill opposed by progressive lawmakers and migrant rights groups.
The joint statement from Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)—who's also ranking member of the House Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee—came as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) prepared for a Thursday vote.
"We are disappointed that the Senate will once again vote on an already-failed border bill in a move that only splits the Democratic Caucus over extreme and unworkable enforcement-only policies," they said.
"This framework, which was constructed under Republican hostage-taking, does nothing to address the long-standing updates needed to modernize our outdated immigration system, create more legal pathways, and recognize the enormous contributions of immigrants to communities and our economy," the congresswomen continued.
"The Senate framework would also subject immigrants to impossible standards and unrealistic timelines in presenting their asylum claims, forcing many back to violence, dangerous conditions, or other harm."
The bipartisan Border Act negotiated by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) previously failed to pass in February, after former Republican President Donald Trump—who's running against Democratic President Joe Biden—instructed the GOP to kill the bill. Lankford disagrees with the upcoming vote.
Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Schumer took aim at Trump and H.R. 2, Republicans' Secure the Border Act, which he called "a very partisan bill." As for the bipartisan Border Act, he said that "we don't expect every Democrat or every Republican to support this bill. It wasn't designed that way... It was intended to be a compromise that could pass and become law."
Despite Schumer's remarks, the bill isn't expected to pass. As The New York Timesreported, "The measure is almost certain to be blocked again, but Democrats hope to use the failed vote to sharpen an election-year contrast with the GOP on a critical issue that polls show is a major potential liability for President Biden and their candidates."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Monday accused Schumer of "trying give his vulnerable members cover by bringing a vote" and said that "should it reach the House, the bill would be dead on arrival."
"If Senate Democrats were actually serious about solving the problem and ending the border catastrophe, they would bring up H.R. 2 and pass it this week," the GOP House leaders added, advocating for "resuming construction of the border wall, ending the exploitation of parole, reinstating Remain in Mexico, and ending catch-and-release."
Meanwhile, Barragán and Jayapal slammed the bipartisan bill for incorporating GOP policies that critics call cruel and ineffective. They argued that "while the investments in asylum officers and immigration judges are welcome and needed, these alone cannot address the negative effects of a new Title 42-like expulsion authority that will close the border and turn away people seeking asylum without due process."
"Such a policy will be a boon to cartels who prey on migrants and would do nothing to address the root causes of migration—which will continue to send immigrants to the border," the congresswomen warned. "It is worth remembering that under Donald Trump, such a policy was not only declared unlawful by the courts, but it also led to increases—not decreases—in illegal border crossing."
They noted that "the Senate framework would also subject immigrants to impossible standards and unrealistic timelines in presenting their asylum claims, forcing many back to violence, dangerous conditions, or other harm. The bill also limits parole at land ports of entry, which will only make it more difficult to process people in a safe and orderly way."
"It is tempting to simply embrace the very policies we rejected under Donald Trump to counter the horrific xenophobic and racist attacks against immigrants coming from the right," Barragán and Jayapal said. "We urge our Senate Democratic colleagues to resist this urge and instead show a clear contrast between Republicans and Democrats."
"Abandon unworkable policy solutions offered by Republicans," they implored, "and instead work with our caucuses to craft a common-sense bipartisan bill that provides holistic solutions that address our economic, humanitarian, and security needs—not more of the same enforcement-only approach that has failed us for the last 30 years."
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Dems Slam GOP for Trying to Force 'Anti-Immigrant Agenda' Into Government Funding Bill
"House Republicans cannot move their extreme, cruel, unworkable anti-immigrant agenda through the regular legislative process, so they're trying to make an end-run around Congress and hold the American people hostage to force it into law."
Sep 29, 2023
The Democratic chairs of leading congressional caucuses said late Thursday that they oppose any last-minute effort to cram immigration policy changes into government funding legislation as House and Senate Republicans consider doing just that, with a shutdown less than 48 hours away.
"It is not appropriate to establish new immigration and border policy in a bill to keep the government funded," the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Congressional Black Caucus said in a joint statement.
"House Republicans cannot move their extreme, cruel, unworkable anti-immigrant agenda through the regular legislative process, so they're trying to make an end-run around Congress and hold the American people hostage to force it into law," they continued. "Even Minority Leader Senator McConnell has said, 'Shutting down the government isn't an effective way to make a point.' We couldn't agree more."
The Democrats' statement came in the wake of news that members of the House and Senate—with the reported backing of some Democrats in the upper chamber—are discussing the possible addition of immigration and border measures to a short-term government funding bill in a bid to win the votes of intransigent House Republicans.
Earlier this week, as the chaos-ridden House failed to make progress, the Senate advanced a legislative vehicle for a continuing resolution that would keep the government through November 17—an attempt to buy time for both chambers to approve full-year funding measures.
Citing two unnamed Republican aides, The Washington Postreported that "by Thursday evening, Senate Republicans were considering an amendment to the continuing resolution that would include $6 billion in funding for border security but no new immigration policy."
According to the Post, Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) "appeared to be involved in the talks."
On Friday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)—who is facing a potential removal plot by far-right House Republicans—is expected to put on the floor a Republican stopgap funding measure that includes major federal spending cuts and border policies.
The Wall Street Journalreported late Thursday that the GOP package includes changes that "House lawmakers passed earlier this year in a broader bill that orders construction to resume on the Trump administration's border wall." That bill was dead on arrival in the Senate.
"The border measures, which have broad backing in the conference, would also make it harder for people to remain in the U.S. under the protection of asylum rules," the Journal noted.
House Republicans' latest effort to move ahead with a short-term funding package will come after they passed several appropriations bills Thursday night, including measures to fund the Pentagon and State Department.
But the House voted down the GOP-authored agriculture appropriations bill, which included steep cuts to food aid for low-income families and a rollback of abortion pill access.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement that lawmakers "should have spent this week working together to prevent the government from shutting down."
"Instead, we spent it watching House Republicans in chaos, loading up their 2024 funding bills with deeper cuts and dangerous policies that harm the economy and raise the cost of living for American families," said DeLauro. "Another day of Republican dysfunction, two days until they shut the government down."
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