As a result of Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) Title 42 amendment, talks on the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending deal have allegedly halted in the Senate, and some senators have begun discussing a short-term funding measure as an alternative.
Federal authorities have more leeway to deport illegal border crossers because of Title 42 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. A federal judge has ordered President Joe Biden’s administration to wind down the program by December 21. Former President Donald Trump initially initiated it at the beginning of the outbreak.
A lower court had already ordered the termination of Title 42. Still, Chief Justice John Roberts of the United States Supreme Court recently stayed that judgment in response to an emergency motion filed by a coalition of 19 states led by Republicans.
According to Politico, Senator Lee’s Title 42 amendment conditions financing for the DHS Office of the Executive Secretary on the Biden administration maintaining Title 42.
According to ABC News’ Trish Turner, Lee’s Title 42 amendment is “creating huge issues” in the Senate, making it unlikely that Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer will be able to put the omnibus package to a vote on the Senate floor on Wednesday.
According to NBC reporter Sahil Kapur’s tweets, a GOP Title 42 amendment has caused “turbulence” for the omnibus. If the amendment passes the Senate, the bill would likely die in the House. Voting will take place tomorrow instead of today.
To be included in the omnibus budget bill, Senate Democrats insist on a vote on Lee’s Title 42 amendment, which requires 60 votes to pass the Senate. Senate Republicans, on the other hand, would like the measure to succeed with only a majority vote of 51 votes.
As Title 42 has the backing of numerous Senate Democrats, Lee’s amendment has a better chance of being adopted.
If Lee’s amendment were to be approved, it would be a “poison pill” and “kill the measure in the House,” according to a Democratic Senate staffer.
Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham criticized his fellow Democrats for blocking a vote on Senator Mike Lee’s proposal.
The refusal of Senate Democrats to allow a vote on an amendment by @SenMikeLee to expand Title 42 expulsion authority is “outrageous,” as Graham tweeted. To paraphrase, “The Lee amendment is important to the underlying law and is an excellent policy for the United States.”
Graham continued that this measure’s failure “would be one of the lowest moments in the history of the United States Senate” since Senator Lee was not given a vote on extending Title 42.
Schumer threatened to file cloture on the omnibus spending measure if a deal couldn’t be reached, setting up a vote for Friday, December 23, and dragging the federal financing process into next week.
To avoid “being on the road heading home” on December 23, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has insisted that an agreement be reached by Thursday, December 22.
In response to a question from Turner on Wednesday regarding the status of McConnell’s deadline, he told her, “that’s tomorrow.” The date in question is December 22.
Hill reporter Alex Bolton reports “increasing chatter” of approving a short-term continuing resolution funding measure to finance the government until February after Lee’s Title 42 amendment derailed negotiations at the last minute.
Since Republicans will be in the majority in the House when the new Congress convenes in January, they stand to gain a great deal from the passage of a short-term continuing resolution to finance the government until February.
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republican contender for speaker of the House in the 116th Congress, was a vocal opponent of a long-term funding bill passed by the lame-duck Congress.
If Congress votes on the budget deal by Friday, the government will continue because it will have run out of money.