WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The day after House Republicans failed to impeach the cabinet member in charge of enforcing U.S. immigration laws, Senate Republicans tanked the long-awaited border security bill.
The procedural vote Wednesday came after a bipartisan group spent months hammering out a compromise with the White House.
“The basic problem is President Biden does not enforce current law,” said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, (R-Tex.).
Cornyn argued any new legislation would also fall flat.
“All the tools are in place to actually secure the border, but President Biden simply won’t do it,” he said.
However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), blamed the former president for the border bill’s demise.
“Donald Trump does not want success at the border,” Schumer said. “He wants chaos.”
Cornyn disagrees but did acknowledge Trump’s influence.
“The former president has made his position clear,” Cornyn said. “And I think that’s one reason the House has said the Senate bill would be dead on arrival.”
On the House side, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, (D-N.Y.), said he still wants to work with Republicans on immigration policy but thinks progress is unlikely before the November elections.
“Republicans have been ordered by Donald Trump not to solve the challenges at the border but to continue to play political games,” Jeffries said.
House Republicans failed Tuesday to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Last night was a setback, but democracy is messy,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-La.).
Johnson said Congress must hold Mayorkas accountable.
“We will pass those articles of impeachment,” he said. “We’ll do it on the next round.”
Johnson did not say when he plans to bring up the articles again for a vote, but Cornyn said he welcomes a trial in the Senate.
“He [Mayorkas] should go,” he said. “A long time ago.”
If the House ultimately passes the impeachment articles, they would move to the Senate to decide whether to convict Mayorkas and remove him from office. But Democrats could use procedural hurdles to avoid a trial.
