America’s biggest lobbying group is backing a bipartisan bill to overhaul immigration laws, and it’s also supporting aid for Israel and Ukraine, challenging conservative House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Immigration Bill Gains Momentum
On Monday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce expressed its satisfaction with the inclusion of much-needed border security, asylum, and immigration reforms in the Senate’s emergency funding proposal.
Economic Toll of Border Crisis
The group’s executive vice president and chief policy officer, Neil Bradley, said, “The economic disruption and human suffering wrought by our border crisis have become so severe that Congress cannot afford to ignore these problems any longer.”
Urgency in Border Fix
Bradley added, “We look forward to working with Members of Congress to pass these commonsense measures that will improve America’s security by addressing our southern border and supporting Ukraine and Israel.”
‘Dead on Arrival’ Deal
This development follows Johnson’s assertion that the border agreement would be ‘dead on arrival,’ as stated in his January 26 letter to fellow Republicans.
GOP Criticism
After the bill’s unveiling by a bipartisan group of senators, the Republican House Speaker criticized it as “worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the president has created.”
Republican Divide
The level of support among House Republicans for Johnson’s stance remains uncertain, with some already opposing the deal. Yet, criticism is emerging from within the Republican ranks, particularly from those who contributed to the bill’s creation.
Funding Refusal
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, a Republican, explained to Fox News on January 28 that their refusal to fund Ukraine, Israel, and border initiatives four months ago was because the party “ demanded changes in policy.”
He explained, “So we actually locked arms together and said, we’re not going to give you money for this, we want a change in law.”
Questioning Policy Flip-Flops
Lankford further commented, “A few months later, when we’re finally getting to the end, they’re like, ‘oh, just kidding, I actually don’t want a change in law because of the presidential election year.'”
Trump’s Influence on Border Deal
When asked if his actions were influenced by former President Donald Trump, who has strongly advised Congressional Republicans to reject any border deal that isn’t ‘perfect’ before the November general election, Johnson asserted to NBC on Sunday that the 2024 GOP frontrunner was ‘not calling the shots.’
$118 Billion for Border
The bill, which has already faced initial opposition from some Senate Republicans and Democrats, proposes a total of $118 billion in funding. This includes $20 billion for immigration enforcement to strengthen border control with additional officers and agents.
Its objectives include quicker and stricter processes for asylum claims, with final decisions aimed within months.
$60 Billion for Ukraine
The bill also includes substantial international aid: $60 billion for Ukraine’s defense against Russia, $14 billion for Israel amidst its conflict with Hamas, humanitarian assistance for Gaza, and nearly $5 billion to support Indo-Pacific nations against Chinese aggression.
The exact distribution of the proposed humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, which will focus on essentials like food, water, shelter, and medical care, remains uncertain.
Urgency of Ukraine Aid
Senator Patty Murray, Democratic Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted the critical need for the U.S. to provide support to Ukraine, which is running low on ammunition against Putin’s ‘brutal invasion.’
A Bipartisan Effort
Murray further stated, “I never believed we should link policy demands to emergency aid for our allies, but Republicans insisted — so Democrats negotiated in good faith over many weeks, and now there is a bipartisan deal on border policy legislation. Ukraine’s fate and so much more hangs in the balance—it’s time for Congress to act.”
Partisan Clashes
Democratic Senators are pushing for increased aid to Gaza amidst Israeli actions against Hamas. Meanwhile, many Republicans, as AP reports, express skepticism about continuing Ukraine aid, showing a preference for supporting Israel as Ukraine’s conflict with Russia continues into its third year.
A ‘monumental step’
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, described the bill as a ‘monumental step’ in bolstering national security, acknowledging his close collaboration with GOP Senator Mitch McConnell on this matter.
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