Republican Leaders Slam ‘Fake Border Bill’ as Debate Heats Up 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Credit | Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Credit | Getty Images

United States: Republicans in both the House and Senate are courting a coalition to oppose any chance of the Democrat-sponsored border legislation reaching the confirmation line. 

In a letter to senators on Sunday evening, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made his intention clear on how he was willing to proceed with the Immigration bill again despite the fact that it was voted down partly by Senate Republicans in February. 

He said, “We are hopeful this bipartisan proposal will bring serious-minded Republicans back to the table to advance this bipartisan solution for our border,” as Fox News reported. 

He also pointed out that he is not expecting to receive full-fledged support from either of the parties; however, he described the border measure negotiated by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and James Lankford, R-Okla., as “a tough, serious-minded, and – critically, bipartisan – proposal to secure our border.” 

The White House backed the plan; Schumer, along with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, called on “every senator to put partisan politics aside and vote to secure the border.” 

Republicans push back the bill 

The Republicans were fast to push back on the leader of the majority bill, as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on social media X, “The fake border bill will fail, again, because it does nothing to seriously secure the border – just cement outrageous levels of illegal immigration,” as Fox News reported. 

He said, “Ironically, some Democrats will vote against it because even pretending to limit illegal immigration is a step too far for them.” 

According to Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla, slamming democrats for reviving the bill as “political theatre,” and “He thinks this vote will make you think Republicans are to blame for Biden’s border crisis.” 

Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. Credit | AP
Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. Credit | AP

Additionally, Lankford, who was a prime figure in helping craft the bill, said, “Listen, if we’re going to solve the border issues, it’s not going to be doing competing messaging bills. If we’re going to solve this, let’s sit down like adults and let’s figure out how we’re going to actually resolve this together,” as Fox News reported. 

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Republican conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., made a statement, “Leader Schumer is trying give his vulnerable members cover by bringing a vote on a bill which has already failed once in the Senate because it would actually codify many of the disastrous Biden open border policies that created this crisis in the first place.” 

Moreover, while highlighting various tougher illegal immigration and border bills that were passed by the Republican-majority House, they added, “If Senate Democrats were actually serious about solving the problem and ending the border catastrophe, they would bring up H.R. 2 and pass it this week,” as Fox News reported.