Democrats’ Border Funding Bill Clears Test Vote In Senate

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., left, accompanied by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., speak to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 22, 2014, to discuss immigration reform. (... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., left, accompanied by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., speak to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 22, 2014, to discuss immigration reform. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

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.”

Latest DC
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: