On Wednesday, as expected, a Senate vote to advance a bipartisan foreign aid bill with major new border provisions failed. This is the first of two votes that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing on the issue, the second of which would remove the border provision but keep the foreign funding measure in place. .
In the first procedural vote, the Senate was split 49-50 on advancing the full bill, which includes funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and a new border policy agreement. The bill needed 60 votes to advance.
Senate Republicans had indicated just before the vote that they intended to kill the bill, despite pleas from key negotiators. The Senate was then scheduled to vote Wednesday night on a procedural vote on whether to begin debate on the second option Mr. Schumer offered, a national security package that includes foreign aid but no border provisions or funding. .
It remains unclear whether the bill will receive the 60 votes needed to advance to final consideration.
After more than four hours of deadlock on the floor Wednesday, the Senate went home overnight with plans to return Thursday to see if it can find a way forward.
Senate Republicans remained paralyzed on the floor while they met behind the scenes to strategize on whether to proceed with the policy without border or immigration changes. Some conservatives say they won't vote to move forward unless Mr. Schumer agrees to give them a chance to vote on some amendments to the package.
In an initial vote, several senators across party lines agreed to advance the bill, with Republicans Sens. James Lankford, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voting against it, while the remaining Republicans opposed it. I cast my vote. Democrats Bob Menendez, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey and Alex Padilla, and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders voted against moving forward. The remaining Democrats voted to move forward.
At the end, Schumer switched his vote to no. This was a procedural move that would give Schumer the opportunity to withdraw the bill for reconsideration at a later date if he so desired.
Schumer previously spoke to reporters about the Republican flip on the border deal, noting that his Republican colleagues insisted on border provisions as a condition for passing aid to Ukraine, then changed their tune and said they would eliminate the border provisions. Suggested to proceed with the package.
“So Republicans first said they would only give humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Israel across the border. Then they said not across the border. Well, we're going to give them both options. '' he said. “Which one we're going to go with. We just hope they agree on something.”
It could be another blow for Congressional Republicans, who suffered two disappointing losses in the House on Tuesday. These include the Republican-led failure to pass articles of impeachment against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and the rejection of a unilateral aid package for Israel.
Schumer said he began developing Plan B for a border supplement once former President Donald Trump began considering it and it became clear that Republicans were in favor of it.
It's not at all clear whether a national security supplement bill without border provisions will get the 60 votes needed to move forward, but Schumer said he's willing to give Republicans a chance to make amendments if it does. Ta.
A frustrated Lankford, who spent four months negotiating border provisions with other senators, spoke on the floor before Wednesday's vote, saying border security was a “problem to be solved” and passing border provisions. He said bipartisan cooperation is needed.
“We need legal reform. I understand we have our differences, but we have to sit together to figure out how to solve this problem. The American people need us to do that.” “We sent them here,” he said.
The Oklahoma Republican said he will continue to speak with anyone interested in resolving the border issue because Americans are “frustrated” by the crisis and Congress' inaction.
“What I hear from most Oklahomans is, 'Do something. Don't just sit there. Do something. We're making progress, but we can't let this continue. Stop it. Stop where you can.’ That’s what we’ve been working on,” Lankford said.
Even if a bill without border provisions passes the Senate, it is unclear whether House Speaker Mike Johnson will bring it to the floor. Schumer said he expects Johnson to do that.
“The House is in chaos, and the Speaker is not qualified to stop everything. Thirty right-wingers just want chaos, just like Donald Trump,” Schumer said.
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he would support a foreign aid-only package with no border provisions “in principle” if the Senate could pass it.
“Certainly I support this because we have to move forward in a comprehensive way to address our national security issues. They held the national security issue hostage and now they have abandoned their position,” Jeffries said. he spoke at his weekly press conference.
He said there are “several Republicans who lack leadership” who have expressed a “willingness” to work together to advance national security policy. He did not mention specific Republicans by name.
Jeffries said he hopes the House will be able to introduce additional legislation when it reconvenes next week.
ABC News' Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
