According to the Associated Press on February 5, in the face of overwhelming criticism from conservatives, Republicans in the U.S. Senate boycotted the push for a bipartisan bill aimed at combating illegal border crossings on the 5th, indicating that the bill may be frustrated in Congress, leaving U.S. leaders unable to find a clear way to approve wartime aid to Ukraine.
According to reports, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell suggested to Republican senators at a closed-door meeting: vote against in the first procedural vote on the 7th.
And just hours earlier, McConnell had urged colleagues in the Senate plenum: "It's time for Congress to act." ”
The senators who participated in the negotiations announced the text of the bill on the evening of the 4th, hoping that the details of the bill would win the support of skeptics. The carefully negotiated agreement represents a "shift to the right" in the Senate's negotiations on border management, although conservatives still strongly oppose it. They lashed out at the border policy proposals, arguing that their measures were still inadequate.
The critics are led by the former ** Trump. On the 5th, Trump, who may win the nomination of the Republican Party's ** candidate, said on a program: "This is a gift to the Democrats, which is equivalent to pushing the worst border bill in history onto Republicans." They hope to use this to help with the election so they can now blame Republicans for the worst border bill in history. ”
According to the report, as the senators returned to Congress on the 5th, the outside world doubted whether many Senate Republicans (even those who expressed support for the aid package to Ukraine and the basic framework for border policy reform) would support the promotion of the package.
Republicans are deeply divided on this. During the 90-minute closed-door meeting on the evening of the 5th, their discussion turned into shouting.
Senator Jonny Ernst, Republican of Iowa, said in an encounter: "The time has come! At ease! ”
Senator Roger Wick, Republican of Mississippi, said the bill did not get the required 60 votes on Wednesday. After wrapping up a meeting with other Republican leaders, he told reporters: "I think this bill is dead. ”
House Speaker Mike Johnson has already said that even if the Senate passes the bill, it will "reach [the House] and die."
Several Democrats also came out against the bill, objecting to measures to limit asylum seekers. Supporters of immigrants also say the bill would deny immigrants who have fled to the United States important due process rights. (Compiled by Cheng Guoyi).