Schumer Announces Senate To Vote Again On Bipartisan Border Bill After Previous Blockage

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that the chamber will vote this week on a standalone border policy package.

The long-negotiated bipartisan border bill, which originally included tough border provisions and foreign aid to U.S. allies, was blocked in February. The proposed bill faced a barrage of criticism from House Republicans and former President Donald Trump, who has made border security a key point of his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.

The Senate then passed a separate foreign aid package last month.

Schumer said in a letter to Senate members that the bill is a "tough, serious-minded, and – critically, bipartisan – proposal to secure our border" and added that the American people do not have the luxury of playing partisan blame games, CNN reported.

"Back in January, the former President urged Congressional Republicans to kill the bipartisan bill, telling the world proudly to 'blame it on me'," Schumer said in the letter, which did not specify when the bill would be taken up.

"The American people do not have the luxury of playing partisan blame games. They want bipartisan action to secure our border," Schumer added.

He admitted that the bill is unlikely to gain unanimous support from Democratic senators.

Some members of the Democratic caucus have previously criticized the legislation, suggesting that it "misses the mark" in addressing comprehensive immigration reform.

"We are hopeful this bipartisan proposal will bring serious-minded Republicans back to the table to advance this bipartisan solution for our border," Schumer said.

"I will be honest: I do not expect all Democrats to support this legislation. Many of our colleagues do not support some of the provisions in this legislation, nor do I expect all Republicans to agree to every provision. But that is often how bipartisan legislation must be shaped when dealing with an issue as complex and politically charged as our nation's immigration laws."

The upcoming vote will compel Democrats to publicly state their positions on a crucial issue ahead of the November elections.

President Joe Biden previously endorsed the border provisions included in the legislation, which, despite criticism from Trump and other Republicans for being too weak, would have represented a significant shift in immigration law.

The bill would have granted the president extensive authority to restrict illegal migrant crossings at the southern border.