House Passes Senate Border Bill in Striking Defeat for Pelosi
- NYTIMES REPORT
The final vote, 305 to 102, included far more Republicans in favor, 176, than Democrats, 129. It left House liberals furious.
“In order to get resources to the children fastest, we will reluctantly pass the Senate bill,” Ms. Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers. “As we pass the Senate bill, we will do so with a battle cry as to how we go forward to protect children in a way that truly honors their dignity and worth.”
Her retreat came after Vice President Mike Pence gave Ms. Pelosi private assurances that the administration would abide by some of the restrictions she had sought. They included a requirement to notify lawmakers within 24 hours after the death of a migrant child in government custody, and a 90-day time limit on children spending time in temporary intake facilities, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
A last-minute revolt by centrist lawmakers ensured the demise of Ms. Pelosi’s efforts to toughen the conditions in the Senate’s $4.6 billion bill. The moderate Democrats had begun to worry about the possibility of leaving Washington on Friday for a weeklong July 4 recess without having cleared the humanitarian aid, and some were balking at a funding reduction for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That left the House floor in chaos, with emotions running high.
Ms. Pelosi was left with little choice but to accept the less restrictive Senate bill, which had passed on a lopsided bipartisan vote this week and would do far less to rein in Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Ms. Pelosi resisted bowing to the Senate until the end, maneuvering for days among the competing factions in her ranks to try to find a set of restrictions to rein in Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown that would satisfy progressives without alienating moderates and lawmakers from Republican-leaning districts.
The final vote badly divided the party, including at its highest levels. The leaders themselves split, with Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader; Representative James E. Clyburn, the whip; and Cheri Bustos, the campaign chief, all supporting the bill. Much of the younger, second tier of leaders — including Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the caucus chairman; Representative Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, the assistant speaker; and Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the caucus vice chairwoman — voted “no.”
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus issued a blistering statement calling the measure “a betrayal of our American values.”
“This bill — opposed by the Hispanic caucus and nearly 100 Democratic members of the House — will not stop the Trump administration’s chaos and cruelty,” the statement said. “What happened today is unacceptable, and we will not forget this betrayal.”
Liberal Democrats were left fuming. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called the decision “an abdication of power we should refuse to accept.” The Trump administration, she said, “will keep hurting kids if we do.”
Representative Mark Pocan, Democrat of Wisconsin and a chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, scathingly singled out the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 23 moderate Democrats and 23 Republicans who lobbied lawmakers to accept the Senate measure, asking on Twitter, “Since when did the Problem Solvers Caucus become the Child Abuse Caucus?”
The moderates were livid about the comment, which Representative Max Rose, Democrat of New York, said, “Just speaks to why everyone hates this place.”
FOXNEWS-
The bill passed 305-102.
Coalition of moderate Democrats and Republicans approved crucial border funding legislation late Thursday in the House, sending the $4.6 billion bill to President Trump's desk for his expected signature -- after Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed down from a push to include restrictions on immigration enforcement that could have scuttled the measure.
The decision is sure to fuel new unrest inside the caucus. Perhaps the most outspoken member of the progressive wing, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., had declared "Hell no" to voting on the Senate bill.
Measures sought by liberal members included those to ensure the health and safety of those in custody, limit the amount of time unaccompanied minors can spend at an influx shelter to 90 days, and reduce funding for ICE by $81 million.
But the House vote would still ease a cash crunch at federal agencies that care for migrants that have flocked over the border in huge numbers seeking asylum. Vivid and painful accounts of harsh, even dangerous conditions at badly overcrowded federal facilities that house and care for thousands of migrants added to the pressure to act.
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi abruptly backed down Thursday from her push to include restrictions on immigration enforcement in a must-pass border funding bill, moving instead to bring a bipartisan Senate version for a vote following intense pressure from Republicans and moderates in her own party,” reports Fox News.
“At stake is a critical $4.5 billion bill to combat the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, which lawmakers want to pass before Congress leaves for the July 4 recess. The Senate already approved its bill 84-8 on Wednesday, after rejecting an earlier House version,” adds Fox.
“In order to get resources to the children fastest, we will reluctantly pass the Senate bill. As we pass the Senate bill, we will do so with a Battle Cry as to how we go forward to protect children in a way that truly honors their dignity and worth,” Pelosi told her colleagues.
Progressives -including Rep. Ocasio-Cortez- railed against Pelosi’s decision.
“Under no circumstances should the House vote for a McConnell-only bill w/ no negotiation with Democrats. Hell no,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted. “That’s an abdication of power we should refuse to accept. They will keep hurting kids if we do.”
“The Shelby-Leahy legislation has unified the Appropriations Committee. It has unified the Senate. The administration would sign it into law,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. “So all our House colleagues need to do to help the men, women, and children on the border this week is pass this unifying bipartisan bill and send it on to the president.”
The House passes a bill to send $4.5 billion in emergency aid to the southern border.
- The House passes a bill to send $4.5 billion in emergency aid to the southern border.
- The Senate is expected to pass its own version of the bill, while the White House has threatened to veto both pieces of legislation.
- The measure's passage comes as the Trump administration faces backlash over the treatment of migrant children at a Texas detention facility.
HENRY GRULLON 2020
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