Republican lawmakers disagree on security legislation

2024-02-06 17:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

After months of negotiations, US senators will vote this week on a cross-party deal on border security and aid to Ukraine and Israel. As Voice of America's congressional correspondent, Katherine Gypson, reports, even if this bill is approved by the US Senate, where the Democratic lawmakers have a majority, it is unlikely to be approved in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

For the first time in more than a decade, US lawmakers will vote this week in the Capitol on an immigration bill. To secure Republican support for aid to Ukraine, US senators have negotiated changes to the US asylum system and border security policies.

“The supplemental package is a real opportunity for the House of Representatives to finally address America's border issue and make progress toward creating a more efficient and well-resourced system. It will cut years of delays in the asylum process along with guarantees of fair outcomes," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The law provides for funding to increase the capacity of the immigration detention center from 34,000 to 50,000. It would also end the current practice of allowing immigrants to stay in the United States while seeking asylum and allow U.S. authorities to close the U.S. border with Mexico if there are more than an average of 8,500 immigrants. in day. The deal also includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, and aid to Indo-Pacific states facing Chinese aggression. If this bill is passed, $10 billion in humanitarian aid will be provided to the West Bank, Gaza and Ukraine.

"I have spoken at length about the urgent need to invest in American power and begin to show our enemies that the world's leading superpower intends to start behaving like one again. My colleagues know where I stand. They know as well as I do that America's enemies in Moscow, Beijing and Iran are working together," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

In a statement released Sunday, the White House emphasized that President Joe Biden supports the bipartisan agreement. Former President Donald Trump — the Republican front-runner for the 2024 presidential election — said last week that he had advised Republican lawmakers on the potential immigration deal.

"Many people ask me for my opinion. If this law is not going to be a very good law and one that would really solve the problem, I wouldn't do it at all. Not for political issues, only for American interests," says former US President Donald Trump.

Speaker Mike Johnson says the bill, if approved by the Senate, will be defeated in the Republican-majority House of Representatives, which will begin impeachment proceedings this week for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. whom they accuse of being responsible for the border crisis.

"The consequences of this crisis were grim and serious, and there is no community left in this country that has not felt its impact. This, I say again, is a crisis that could have been avoided, a choice that was made by those in power. And today, the House of Representatives is reacting and saying no more," said Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole.

If the bill fails to pass the House of Representatives, lawmakers may be forced to negotiate another law to help Ukraine and Israel./ VOA