Senate Democrats appear to be at odds over Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) handling of border security negotiations with Republicans.
Members of the Biden administration have been meeting with a Senate delegation this week to help with border policy negotiations, which includes Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), James Lankford (R-OK), and aides to Schumer, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
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Schumer has indicated that he will help rework a shell bill that could serve as a framework for the supplemental aid bill, which will include border provisions, in return for aid to Israel and Ukraine. Schumer even delayed the Senate’s holiday break so senators could vote on the legislation.
But some senators have warned against him caving to Republican demands.
“If [Schumer] thinks he can send us home for the weekend, quietly cave to Republicans’ anti-immigrant demands while nobody is watching, and then ambush Democrats expecting us to vote yes with a smile, he is TERRIBLY MISTAKEN,” Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. “[Schumer] and those Democrats who are contemplating these proposals need to understand that these Trumpian policies will do nothing to address our challenges at the border and will only exacerbate the problem. Immigration advocates should speak up — HELL NO is the message.”
1/ If @SenSchumer thinks he can send us home for the weekend, quietly cave to Republicans’ anti-immigrant demands while nobody is watching, and then ambush Democrats expecting us to vote yes with a smile, he is TERRIBLY MISTAKEN.
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) December 14, 2023
Other senators, including Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), also expressed concern. House Democrats have also warned President Joe Biden that they would not just buckle to an agreement made by the administration.
“The base of the Democratic Party — young people, folks of color, immigrants — that was the coalition that allowed Joe Biden to get elected,” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said, per Punchbowl News. “This coalition is splitting apart. We need the president and his campaign to pay attention to what is happening on the ground.”
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Although Schumer has appeared optimistic about reaching a possible deal next week, Senate Republicans have been more apprehensive. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) claimed everything is still conceptual and that no legislation is ready to be drafted.
“They’re making progress, but the question is: Is it enough progress? I’m trying to be hopeful but have a hard time seeing that,” Thune said Thursday.
