Senate Democrats’ emergency funding bill for the humanitarian crisis at the southern border cleared an initial procedural hurdle on Wednesday.
The chamber voted 66-33 to begin debate on the legislation, achieving the 60 needed to break a filibuster and move the bill forward.
The measure, offered by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), would provide $3.6 billion in funding to help process the roughly 57,000 child migrants who have arrived at the border within the last year. Some of the money would be used for other purposes like combating wildfires.
But it’s not at all clear the bill will reach a final up-or-down vote, as Mikulski urged shortly after the cloture vote succeeded. That will require 60 votes again after the completion of debate and amendments.
Republicans broadly oppose the legislation as written, in part because they insist on amending a 2008 anti-trafficking law which prevents U.S. officials from quickly turning away children who are coming from countries other than Mexico or Canada.
Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) said on Tuesday he doesn’t “know of anybody” in the Republican conference who will support the bill as written, labeling it a “blank check” for the president that doesn’t fix the problem.
Asked by TPM if he’ll call on members to block a final vote on the legislation if it’s not amended, he said, “That’s certainly my position.”
How is it a ‘blank check’ if it specifies clearly how the money will be allocated and spent? The GOP’s blather is soooo stale.
[quote] … labeling it a “blank check” for the president that doesn’t fix the problem. [/quote] See comment above about “blank check” farce.
In order to “fix the problem”, we’d first have to stop funding and participating in the War on Drugs that created the violence and conditions these kids are running from.
We should be so lucky.
The House will continue this discussion on or about September 8 when they come back from recess with bulging pockets