House Approves Stringent G.O.P. Border Bill, Attacking Biden on Immigration
House Republicans pushed through a sweeping border security bill on Thursday that would crack down on unlawful immigration, blowing past solid Democratic opposition and narrowly avoiding an embarrassing mutiny within their own ranks on one of their signature midterm campaign promises.
Republicans timed approval of the measure, which has no chance in the Democratic-led Senate, to spotlight their hard-line stance on immigration just as President Biden is facing a potential border surge with Thursday night’s expiration of Title 42, the pandemic-era rule allowing for swift expulsion of migrants.
The bill would revive and codify a variety of border policies championed during the Trump administration, including construction of a border wall, the “Remain in Mexico” practice of keeping migrants seeking asylum either in detention facilities or on the opposite side of the border and expedited deportation of unaccompanied children. It also would mandate that companies verify their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States through a program known as E-Verify, and criminalize visa overstays of more than 10 days.
The 219-213 vote to pass the bill came only after months of internal Republican feuding capped by a final, marathon round of haggling this week that highlighted the party’s tenuous hold on its fractious majority and led to a series of last-minute changes to win over holdouts. Two Republicans, Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and John Duarte of California, joined Democrats in opposing the legislation, citing objections to the E-Verify requirement.
Source: The New York Times
