No Republican justify voting in favor of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill without Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rick Scott’s (R-FL) Title 42 Amendment, the Florida senator said in a statement on Thursday.
Negotiations around the massive spending bill, which includes tens of millions in earmarks and billions more for Ukraine, stalled late Wednesday evening due to the Title 42 Amendment, which would extend the program, making it easier to deport migrants who illegally cross the border under the Trump-era health policy.
A report from August found that over 5 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since President Biden took office, and the program’s reversal would lead to what critics describe as a “full scale invasion” of the nation.
“It’s no secret that the crisis at the United States’ southern border is raging out of control – and I’m afraid it’s about to get a lot worse with President Biden and Washington Democrats allowing Title 42 to end,” Scott said in a statement, explaining the proposal to extend Title 42, which he said “may be the only policy standing between the current crisis on our border devolving into utter chaos and a total lack of control.”
The Democrats’ amendment, Scott continued, is “woefully inadequate and continues their open border policies, prioritizing processing people who already crossed the border illegally instead of preventing illegal immigration in the first place.”
“Some of my Republican colleagues support the omnibus, but if this massive, $1.7 trillion reckless spending bill proceeds without Senator Lee and my amendment, no Republican can justify voting for its passage,” Scott warned, adding that the Biden administration has no serious plan to secure the border.
Further, several House Republicans, with backing from GOP Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), have threatened to thwart the legislative efforts of Senate Republicans who vote in favor of the spending spree.
Scott’s call comes as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday announced an agreement to advance the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill prior to Christmas, signaling that the Washington, DC, swamp could be back on track after hitting a snag with the Title 42 Amendment late Wednesday. Originally, this prompted speculation concerning a possible short-term spending resolution (CR), which would have been considered a victory for conservatives.
As Breitbart News reported:
But Schumer has come up with a procedural tactic to circumvent Lee’s amendment and avoid failing to pass the massive bill before Christmas. According to Punchbowl News, Schumer has drafted a side-by-side amendment on Title 42, which is crafted to cancel Lee’s amendment by giving Democrats and Republicans each a vote.
Schumer told reporters the tactic will allow the $1.7 trillion dollar spending bill to pass the Senate Thursday, enabling senators to go home before Christmas, a self-imposed deadline by Schumer’s negotiating colleague, McConnell, who has publicly supported the massive bill.
Lawmakers have until midnight Friday to avoid a government shutdown. On Thursday, the Senate rejected the amendment: