WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, the House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Republicans said the Secretary has failed to stop the crisis at our border. Democrats argue Republicans had a chance to address the border issue as part of a foreign aid bill that included border security provisions. Now a bill without those border provisions has passed the Senate, but it’s future in the House looks grim.
“What the Senate produced this week is silent on that issue,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R- LA) said about the Senate’s foreign aid bill.
Johnson is pushing back on the Senate’s 95-billion dollar foreign aid package that was passed a couple of days ago. The supplemental aid provides support for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan but leaves out changes to our border security policies.
“We are not going to be forced into action by the Senate who in the latest product they sent us over does not have one word in the bill about America’s border,” said Johnson. “Not one word about security.”
An earlier version of this bill included changes to US border security but those provisions were taken out after Republicans announced their opposition to the proposal. Some even stated they hoped to keep the border crisis as an issue for the 2024 election cycle. Johnson said the bill that included the border provisions was dead on arrival in the House.
“Because it did not meet the moment,” said Johnson. “It would not have solved the problem. You can’t leave giant loopholes and codify some of the things that got us into this situation.”
“Give us a vote,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar (D- CA).
House Democrats claim if the Senate’s foreign aid bill is put to a vote on the floor, there would be enough bipartisan support to pass it.
“There is a bipartisan path forward, the Senate has just given us that,” said Rep. Aguilar. “The question isn’t for House Democrats; the question is for Speaker Johnson: what is he afraid of? To put national security first to help our country to push back against [Vladimir] Putin? And to make sure our country is protected?”
Speaker Johnson said House Republicans have already passed legislation that addresses the border and are continuing to work on ideas that helps mitigate border issues.