McConnell Finally Forced To Admit Defeat On Unpopular Border Bill

Although Republican supporters described a controversial bipartisan agreement as a way to secure border security, a growing number of GOP lawmakers criticized it as a toothless proposal that would do much more to benefit Ukraine than it would to ease America’s ongoing immigration crisis.

The amount of backlash finally hit a tipping point this week, convincing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to recommend that members of his party reject the bill for which he had previously expressed support.

As Breitbart reported:

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the shocking decision to recommend Republicans block the advancement of the Senate pro-migration border bill.

That first procedural vote was set for Wednesday. It is unknown if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will forge ahead, although that is likely.

McConnell cited the overwhelming number of Senate Republicans planning to vote against the measure either on substance or because they wanted more time, according to Punchbowl News.

The border deal has received significant attention on social media in recent days.

Primetime read the border bill so you don’t have to and we found that it wouldn’t stop a single migrant from breaking into our country. So what’s the $20 billion for? Processing illegals, handouts and loopholes. pic.twitter.com/x6nof9rNP2

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) February 6, 2024

“Democrats want this [border bill] as cover for not actually doing their job. They want to be able to point to us and say, ‘Oh, they killed our great bill.’”

“But it's not a bill that the American people want because it won't work.” pic.twitter.com/Vf9uGeIQgs

— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) February 6, 2024

Laura: The entire border bill is a travesty. pic.twitter.com/trRtdUafM2

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) February 6, 2024

Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, urging Republicans not to support the “Democrat trap.”

President Trump on “Secure the Border Act of 2023”: ‘Signing This Bill Would Be So Stupid, So Foolish’

President Trump believes signing the discussed bill would end careers.

“… it probably would mean the end of their career. This is a Democrat trap. It's a trap for… pic.twitter.com/3nJ7UinbRz

— UngaTheGreat (@UngaTheGreat) February 6, 2024

Of course, his long-shot rival in the GOP presidential primary sought to score political points on the issue, ironically by accusing Trump of “playing politics” with the border.

According to The Hill:

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Sunday that former President Trump is “playing politics” in trying to sink a bipartisan border deal in the Senate.

CNN’s Dana Bash pushed Haley on whether Trump is trying to get involved in the border deal to boost his own bid for the White House on “State of the Union” on Sunday. Trump has been railing against any potential bipartisan border deal, where negotiations have been taking place among senators since late last year, saying that there is no need for the legislation to address the issues at the border.

“Well, I think nobody should be playing politics with the border. First of all, he shouldn’t be getting involved, telling Republicans to wait until the election because we don’t want this to help [President] Biden win,” Haley responded. “We can’t wait one more day. You have millions of people who come to that border, they are not being vetted.”

Here’s some additional analysis of the bill: