The Senate appears to be at a standstill over arguments on border amendments in its large $1.2 trillion spending bill Friday night, just hours away from a possible government shutdown.
Senate Republicans appeared frustrated over the lack of progress on the spending bill, claiming that not much progress was made during the day. The House has already passed the legislation.
“We haven’t made a lot of progress,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told Politico.
Senate Republicans claim there are a handful of amendments related to immigration and the border that have not been agreed on yet, and the delay could cause negotiations to run into the weekend, thereby shutting down parts of the federal government.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said there are two important pieces of legislation being held captive by Democrats.
“They especially don’t want to vote on the Laken Riley amendment, which would insist on justice for the murder of Laken Riley and similarly situated illegal criminals,” Cotton said. “They [also] don’t want to vote on the amendment that would prohibit charter flights for illegal aliens into the country.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said another amendment request would block the Biden administration from lifting sanctions against Iran.
A partial government shutdown still appears possible since any changes to the amendments would require the House’s approval, which has already left town.
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Should the government shutdown occur, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has scheduled a vote on the bill on Sunday if no deal is reached before then.
The Senate is expected to go on a two-week recess once the legislation is passed.
