Senate border bill flames out
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Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a months-long push to advance bipartisan border legislation, effectively punting on the issue until after the November election.
The motion to proceed on the bill fell 11 votes short of the 60 votes needed. Only four Republicans — Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitt Romney (Utah) and
James Lankford (Okla.), who negotiated the bill for the GOP — voted to proceed. Five senators who caucus with Democrats voted against the package, which included aid to Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and more.
Plan B: The Senate immediately turned to vote on whether to consider a $95 billion package containing the foreign aid pieces without border provisions. Procedural votes on the Plan B option were held open Wednesday afternoon as Senate Republicans regrouped to chart a path forward after most of the conference voted to block the border bill.
“The development marked a dramatic shift among Senate Republicans, who for months have insisted that any funding for Ukraine must be paired with reforms to secure the border,” The Hill’s Alexander Bolton wrote.
The package includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and $10 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine. Related coverage: |
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Welcome to
Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Biden campaign blames Trump for border deal failure
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President Biden‘s campaign, along with other Democrats, are blaming former
President Trump for the border deal’s flop in the Senate after Trump urged Republicans to vote against it in recent weeks. The Hill’s
Alexander Bolton noted that many of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell‘s (Ky.) allies retired from the chamber and “have been replaced with more MAGA-aligned Republicans who won election to the Senate with Trump’s backing.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the GOP leadership team, said that, on top of it being “just inherently hard,” the closed-door negotiation process was partly responsible for the deal’s collapse. |
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Netanyahu rejects Hamas’s proposal
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Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal from Hamas laying out conditions for the release of Israeli hostages, calling the proposal “delusional.” His remarks follow Hamas’s reported proposal for a multi-stage cease-fire spanning four-and-a-half months that would include Israeli troops’ withdrawal from Gaza. From The Hill’s Laura Kelly: “That’s a high bar for the Israeli government, especially given Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing military operations and having the ability to carry out operations in response to Hamas threats.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Netanyahu in Israel Wednesday to continue negotiations on a framework of a deal to pause fighting, increase humanitarian deliveries to Gaza, secure the release of hostages and more. |
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Border policy and the 2024 elections |
With the long-awaited border deal officially collapsing in Congress this week, we asked political strategists what risks both parties face if Congress punts on the immigration issue until after the 2024 election: |
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“Over the last two years [Republicans] have done a good job of framing America’s border problems as the fault of Democrats. But in the last week, they have ceded most of that ground by dismissing the bipartisan immigration deal. By admitting their actions are fueled by the 2024 election they are proving themselves to be hypocrites and giving Democrats an opportunity to reframe the issue. While Dems might not gain the polling advantage on immigration, they do have a chance to considerably close the gap.”
— Rodell Mollineau, Democratic strategist 📣
“Comprehensive immigration bills have a well-known history of sinking under their own weight which means that also adding aid to Israel and Ukraine on top of this one is a recipe for legislative disaster. Democrats will need to show progress on border security or there will be plenty of vulnerable members who will be dealing with voter anger on Election Day. At the same time, Republicans must provide credible reasons why they chose to oppose border security legislation at a moment when our nation is at crisis levels.”
— Ron Bonjean, Republican strategist 📣 “Republicans have a vested interest in putting off a solution. They want the issue on the ballot in November. It may be irresponsible as a matter of policy, but it’s shrewd as a political strategy.” — Former Rep.
Steve Israel (N.Y.), former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 📣
“The immigration bill was like the Sixth Sense — it was dead for weeks but no one noticed. You’re simply not getting an immigration bill through Congress with a 3-vote majority in the House. But Biden can do plenty on his own and he hasn’t.” — Matt Gorman, former communications director at the National Republican Congressional Committee |
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© AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File |
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Nine states agree to boost heat pump use
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Nine Democratic-led states signed an agreement aiming for heat pumps to make up 65 percent of residential heating and air conditioning system sales by 2030 and 90 percent of those sales by 2040. From The Hill’s Zack Budryk: “
States have increasingly sought to take state-level or regional action on climate issues amid ongoing congressional gridlock.” Read more here. |
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DHS, Lyft partner on human trafficking prevention program
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The Department of Homeland Security and
Lyft are teaming up on a tutorial program to help U.S. and Canadian ride-hailing drivers recognize and prevent human trafficking, kicking off on Super Bowl Sunday. |
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1 day until the Nevada and Virgin Islands GOP caucuses. |
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Thursday: -
President Biden speaks at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference.
- And the
Supreme Court hears oral arguments in former President Trump‘s appeal of a decision barring him from Colorado’s ballot.
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