Comment by newfriend
1 month ago
This is not accurate. The details were kept secret during negotiation which consisted of 2 Democrats (1 "Independent" who caucused D) and 1 Republican. When the text of the bill was released, it was widely disparaged by Republicans.
>Several Senate Republicans Issue Blunt Dismissal Of Bipartisan Border Security Bill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf4EzoWR944
It never had a chance of passing. It wasn't some amazing bill that everyone loved until Trump told them not to. That is a fantasy that fits the narrative.
My point was pushing back on the false choice offered by the parent comment that we have open borders or the current maximalist deportation policy.
Talking about that bill specifically though, what were the issues with it (not rhetorical)? It had the support of the Border Patrol Union and Chamber of Commerce. Yes, many Republicans opposed it when released, but that opposition came after Trump publicly told them to oppose it. Here’s a timeline:
Late January 2024: Trump publicly opposed the border deal before it was even finalized, with McConnell acknowledging in a private meeting that Trump’s opposition put Republicans in a serious bind. [1]
Early February 2024: Trump declared on social media that “only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill” [2] and pressured Republicans to kill the bill, saying they needed a “Strong, Powerful, and essentially ‘PERFECT’ Border” and were “better off not making a Deal.” [3]
February 5, 2024: Bill text released
February 6-7, 2024: Within 48 hours of the bill’s release, Senate Republicans declared it dead, with McConnell saying the speaker made clear it would not become law. [4] Only four Republicans voted for it in the procedural vote, and even McConnell voted against it. [5] McConnell’s own admission: McConnell later explicitly stated that “our nominee for president didn’t seem to want us to do anything at all” regarding the border. [6]
The bill wasn’t perfect and had legitimate critics, but calling it a “fantasy narrative” ignores that it died specifically because of political pressure, not substance. House Speaker Mike Johnson declared it “dead on arrival” before the text was even finalized.
My point stands. If this bill was inadequate, where’s the Republican alternative? What’s their legislative proposal to fix the broken immigration system? Blocking bills is easy. Show what they’re actually proposing to solve the problem.
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/25/politics/gop-senators-angry-t...
[2] https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4451977-mcconnell-dealt-...
[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-immigration-deal-republi...
[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans...
[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-kill-b...
[6] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/white-house-mitch...