BORDER DEAL UNVEILED
Congress is set for a series of showdowns related to border security this week.
First, the House and Senate are in a staredown over national security funding for the border, Israel, and Ukraine.
House wrangling will also continue over the proposed impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in response to alleged mishandling of the border.
Yesterday night, after months of delays, Senate negotiators unveiled the text of an agreement that would couple funding for Israel and Ukraine with new policies and appropriations related to border security.
What’s in the border package?
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Around $118 billion in total:
- $60 billion related to Ukraine funding
- $14.1 billion for Israel security
- $10 billion in humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip and Ukraine
- $20 billion for border security
- $5 billion for Indo-Pacific partners
- A higher legal standard for initial screening of asylum claims
- Asylum processing is expedited to six months.
- Automatic mandatory shutdown of the border if illegal encounters reach an average of 5,000 per day over a given week
- Limits on Presidential Parole Authority
- Allows the president to order a shutdown at 4,000 illegal encounters in a day
- After a shutdown, the border remains closed until encounters drop to 2,000 per day
Instead, Republicans in the House have demanded H.R. 2—their seminal border package passed at the start of the 118th Congress—or nothing. For Senate Democrats, this tough-on-illegal immigration legislation is a nonstarter.
Foreseeing this roadblock, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) over the weekend introduced a competing proposal that would provide $17.6 billion in funding for Israel only, which most Republicans support. It wouldn’t address funding for Taiwan or Ukraine.
Johnson defended this move, insisting that it wasn’t in reaction to the Senate’s proposal.
Johnson has said the Senate proposal is dead on arrival in the lower chamber.
Still, with the competing bills introduced and set for a vote this week, they’ve poised the Congress for a showdown later this month.
Meanwhile, House Republicans are also concentrating on impeaching Mayorkas.
As the head of DHS, many Republicans hold Mayorkas personally responsible for much of the havoc at the southern border.
Last week, after years of threats, Republicans advanced two articles of impeachment against the embattled DHS chief through the House Homeland Security Committee. They’re set for a vote in the House later this week.
Most Republicans have indicated they’re on board with the move, including moderates like Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.).
But others are against impeachment.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) has all but vowed opposition to his party’s impeachment ambitions. He’s joined by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), who’s been ambivalent about the proceedings.
That’s bad news for Johnson, who can only afford to lose around two votes and still pass the measure.
Whatever happens, immigration will be a key priority for both congressional parties in the coming weeks.
—Joseph Lord
BIDEN EYES 2024 RACE AFTER S.C. WIN
After securing an easy victory in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, Biden has turned his focus to the 2024 presidential race.
Yet he confronts numerous challenges, including record-low approval ratings, an unresolved border issue, and a substantial affordability crisis in the country, which suggest he has a bigger hill to climb.
Biden’s approval ratings are at historic lows, with only Jimmy Carter performing worse among modern first-term presidents, according to a recent Gallup survey. Polls also indicate that he trails former President Donald Trump in potential matchups in key battleground states. Some Democrats, however, are optimistic, citing their 2022 midterm success despite polls predicting a “red wave.”
Economic indicators appear healthy, but there’s a disconnect between macroeconomic data and individual financial struggles. While the jobless rate is low and the economy is growing, prices of basic goods remain high, and housing costs are soaring, making homeownership unattainable for many.
“If you’re my age, in your 20s, it’s hard to buy a house, obviously,” says Austin Clauhs, 28, a resident of Charleston, South Carolina.
Recent polls suggest that key pillars of the Democratic base, including black, Hispanic, and young voters, are distancing themselves from Biden.
In addition, a standoff in Congress over border security measures has become a political liability for the president. Illegal immigration has eclipsed inflation as the country’s most pressing issue, with over 8.5 million illegal crossings since Biden took office.
Some pundits argue that the president delayed the border issue for too long. They warn that if this issue is not resolved, the president could face serious challenges in the upcoming election.
The question remains: Can Biden, like some past presidents who faced low approval ratings, overcome these challenges and secure victory in the 2024 election? Only time will tell.
– Emel Akan
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- House Rules Committee debates the Mayorkas impeachment resolution
- Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) holds a press conference with key experts highlighting concerns surrounding the WHO’s proposed pandemic treaty
Political battles over homelessness are coming to the Supreme Court. The result, The Epoch Times’ Michael Washburn reported, could upend homelessness policy across the nation.
Former President Donald Trump teased possible contenders for his vice president, The Epoch Times’ Joseph Lord reported. Specifically, Trump name-dropped Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as some contenders.
The doctor who helped Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt after she was lethally shot on Jan. 6, 2021, has been sentenced to probation, The Epoch Times’ Joe Hanneman reported. Babbitt was among the handful of those killed on Jan. 6. She was shot and killed by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, who’s since been promoted to captain and faced no punishment for fatally wounding Babbitt.
Lawmakers are demanding answers from Attorney General Merrick Garland about the discovery of a Chinese Communist Party-linked marijuana farms across the U.S. The Epoch Times’ Frank Fang reported on the demand for information, delivered in a bipartisan letter signed by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike.
Special Counsel Jack Smith is defending the decision to arrest Trump for mishandling classified documents after Trump has claimed the effort is politically motivated. Politico reported on Smith’s 68-page defense of his actions—and why the document is unusual in justice proceedings.
