GOP Senators Criticize McConnell Over Border Bill, Call for His Resignation

The recent bipartisan border bill, which is set for a procedural vote on the Senate floor, has sparked controversy among a group of Senate Republicans. These senators, led by JD Vance of Ohio and Ted Cruz of Texas, have criticized the deal and called for the resignation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

According to reports, Vance and Cruz expressed their disappointment with McConnell during a press conference on Tuesday, stating that he should have “walked away” from the border agreement. They argued that the bill expands President Biden’s power and does not fully close the border.

Vance, a vocal critic of Ukraine assistance, stated that Republicans did not commit to supporting whatever came out of the negotiations. He emphasized that they supported a negotiation to bring commonsense border security to the country, not a “border fig leaf” to send more funds to Ukraine.

Cruz, a long-standing critic of McConnell since 2013, claimed that McConnell offered no response when he asked him if there was anything they were willing to fight on during the closed-door border negotiations. Cruz also expressed his belief that a Republican leader should actually lead the conference and advance the priorities of Republicans.

Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, the lead Republican negotiator, has faced pushback from the caucus over the deal struck with Senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Biden administration officials. More than 20 Republicans have already vowed to strike down the bill on Wednesday, arguing they need “adequate time” for amendments and further analysis.

Meanwhile, Republicans are also criticizing a post Murphy made on Twitter on Sunday, which read, “The border never closes, but claims must be processed at the ports.” Cruz argued that the Biden administration already has the ability to shut down the border and turn migrants away under the current immigration laws.

The only way the border bill could make it across the finish line in the national supplemental package is if the Senate passed H.R.2 – the GOP-led House’s immigration bill passed last year, which includes Trump-era style expulsions and security measures. However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already deemed the bill a “nonstarter” in the Senate.

Senator Rick Scott of Florida, an unsuccessful contender against McConnell in the last election, criticized McConnell for entering into a secret negotiation with Schumer. Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Roger Marshall of Kansas, among others, also spoke out against the bill, which they argued has “whole lot of loopholes.”

The proposed legislation, which totals just over $118 billion with 50,000 new visas, will face significant opposition from Republicans, who are concerned that it does not flatly reduce the number of border crossings to zero. The bill’s provisions come into effect when there is an average of 5,000 or more daily encounters with illegal immigrants over a seven-day period or, alternatively, when a combined total of 8,500 or more aliens are encountered on any single calendar day. However, the port entries will not close, and all migrants will receive work IDs immediately and access to full benefits.

In conclusion, the bipartisan border bill has sparked controversy among a group of Senate Republicans, who have criticized the deal and called for the resignation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. These senators argue that the bill expands President Biden’s power and does not fully close the border, and they are determined to tarnish the negotiations. The bill’s provisions, which include an average of 5,000 daily encounters with illegal immigrants over a seven-day period to trigger a shutdown of port entries, have raised concerns among Republicans, who are concerned that it does not flatly reduce the number of border crossings to zero. The bill’s opposition is likely to continue, with more than 20 Republicans already vowing to strike it down on Wednesday.