The Democrat Party’s No. 2 and No. 3 Senate leaders stated they are willing to consider a measure to halt President Biden’s migration plan.
🚨🚨🚨GOP & some Dems are holding life-saving COVID aid hostage in their attempt to indefinitely extend a life-destroying anti-asylum blockade. Dem leadership at risk of caving. Call your legislators & tell them to vote NO on any Title 42 amendmenthttps://t.co/xWJUlzGcdb
— Joshua Leach (@JoshuaFLeach) May 10, 2022
However, the ultimate decision rests with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The Democratic leader has deemed the Republican initiative “extraneous.” He supports the Biden presidency’s decision to discontinue the Title 42 deportation program, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Obstruction?
On Tuesday, when questioned about a Title 42 vote, Schumer repeated that Republicans “should not be obstructing COVID legislation.”
Democrats are dubious of their ability to defeat an amendment that required 60 votes to pass. Murray supports taking a vote to unblock the Senate: “All I know is that COVID funding must be approved.”
The Democratic caucus is divided by Biden’s decision to stop the strategy. Several incumbents in jeopardy have demanded that Biden reverse his stance on easing border restrictions.
Instead, they favor bipartisan legislation from Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) that would delay the removal of migration limits and require the administration to develop a plan to address an expected surge in border crossings.
Biden wants to spend $40B for Ukraine and $10B more on covid.
Meanwhile,
American mother’s can’t buy baby formula.
Record amounts of fentanyl is coming across the border and is #1 cause of death in young Americans.
And out of control inflation & fuel is hurting everyone.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 10, 2022
While the presidency attempted to allay these fears by providing a planning memo last month, some Democratic senators viewed this as inadequate.
Democratic proponents of reducing the COVID-related migration restriction do not want the Senate to consider a Republican amendment that is likely to pass, considering the interests of their reelection candidates and those from purple states.
In a 50-50 Senate, the Democrats could lose no more than nine members by voting against every Title 42 amendment requiring 60 votes.
Republicans might also lobby the Senate parliamentarian for a simple majority hurdle on the amendment.
Vote on Border
He also predicted that Democrats would likely lose a Senate vote on immigration.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made it very clear that Republican senators will insist on a vote on the amendment before agreeing to move forward on a COVID aid program.
Democratic sources stressed, though, that it was uncertain whether handing the GOP a vote would be sufficient to convince ten Republicans to support the larger COVID aid proposal.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates issued the following statement: “We do not believe that financing life-saving vaccines and medications for American citizens should be slowed by unrelated initiatives.”
However, the vote on migration policy is unavoidable for several Democratic senators.
“Whether we should or not, I believe we will,” Senator Tim Kaine stated (D-Va.).
“I am a firm believer that amendment votes should be held on bills. So, regardless of whether it would be my favored amendment, I believe they will say, ‘Hey, if you want a COVID bill, we want a vote on this.’ This has been my perspective for a while.”
