In a letter circulated among House Republicans on Friday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a stern warning regarding the fate of a bipartisan border and immigration deal negotiated in the Senate.
Johnson, a vocal advocate for stricter border policies, deemed the proposed Senate deal as likely “dead on arrival” in the House.
Citing leaks surrounding the contentious Senate negotiations, Johnson expressed skepticism about the rumored contents of the draft proposal, suggesting it would have faced significant opposition in the House regardless.
Instead, Johnson urged the Senate to consider the House’s previously passed bill, H.R. 2, which espouses a hardline approach to border and migrant policy.
However, the prospect of H.R. 2 gaining traction in the Senate appears slim, given its lack of Democratic support in the House and the necessity for bipartisan consensus in the divided Congress.
Senate negotiators have refuted rumors about the final package, emphasizing the ongoing flux in talks over the past four months.
With the 2024 elections looming, House Republicans are increasingly prioritizing border security and immigration as central campaign issues.
In January, the GOP-led House Homeland Security Committee initiated impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, scheduled for a vote on January 30.
Johnson underscored the urgency of impeachment proceedings, vowing to expedite the process following the committee’s deliberations.
He also argued that President Biden has executive authority to address the border crisis swiftly.
In response to Johnson’s letter and impeachment threats, White House spokesperson Ian Sams, via his Twitter, dismissed them as “totally baseless spin,” accusing House Republicans of failing to engage in bipartisan border solutions.
He wrote, “Such a silly claim. There’s no “necessity” In fact—since before they even took the majority, House Rs have been crowing about impeaching somebody…anybody…out of partisan political bloodlust.
Totally baseless spin as House Rs refuses to even engage on bipartisan border solutions.”
The escalating tensions underscore the deep partisan divide over immigration policy and the challenges facing efforts to forge consensus in Congress.
