(NationalUSNews.com) — Due to the ongoing surge of illegal immigrants across the southern United States border, members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate have proposed legislation meant to establish border security, to no avail.
The latest attempt at enacting immigration reform failed to pass in the Senate after 53 senators voted against the measure. The failed border agreement would’ve granted President Joe Biden the authority to close the border during periods of increased illegal crossings, a policy many lawmakers feel would help strengthen border security.
Some political experts have cited the bill as an attempt by outgoing Democrats to maintain their position in Congress, as every Democrat facing a contested election voted in favor of the policy. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was the only Republican who supported the bill, as three former supporters voted against the bill despite agreeing to it just three months ago. Two officials who initially negotiated the deal also voted against it, citing the Democratic Party’s decision to use the bill as a political statement rather than a meaningful border agreement.
Of the policy’s three negotiators, Senators Krysten Sinema (I-Arizona) and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) voted against the border agreement. Sinema claims that the Democratic Party has used the border agreement’s failure to criticize Republicans who voted against the measure, a stance she vehemently disagrees with. According to Sinema, the Democratic Party should commend the Republicans who wanted the bill to pass, as they attempted to negotiate border legislation despite disagreeing with most Democratic lawmakers. Lankford hasn’t provided a statement to explain why he voted against the agreement after advocating for it during its inception.
While many of the border agreement’s supporters were Democratic officials, several Republicans supported the policy. Democrats from the progressive bloc of the party opposed the deal, including Senators Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Laphonza Butler (D-California). According to the liberal senators who opposed the agreement, the deal would’ve prevented illegal immigrants from having access to asylum, which would’ve increased deportations.
The border agreement’s failure serves as the latest attempt by members of Congress to enact immigration reform before the 2024 election, which features a heavy focus on illegal immigration. Former President Donald Trump has made illegal immigration one of his top political concerns and regularly accuses Biden of allowing the increase in illegal immigration by failing to act.
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