The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
Anyone who wonders why Congress hasn’t passed immigration legislation for decades need only look at the political shenanigans surrounding the current bipartisan Senate effort to cope with the issue.
Once again, the roadblocks are House Republicans, who don’t believe in the concept of compromise, and Donald Trump, who prefers chaos to a solution that might politically benefit President Joe Biden — not to mention help the country.
The House GOP, under its Trumpist new speaker, Mike Johnson, has contended all along that it won’t settle for anything less than the stricter measure it passed last year, though Biden and the Senate have rejected it. A recent comment to CNN by Texas Rep. Troy Nehls typifies its mindset: “I’m not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden’s approval rating.”
Meanwhile, Trump, on the verge of clinching the GOP presidential nomination, is lobbying Republican lawmakers against the compromise being hashed out by a bipartisan group. The reason: He wants to campaign against Biden on the issue.
That put Republicans “in a quandary,” Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell told his colleagues last week, declaring “we don’t want to do anything to undermine” Trump. McConnell suggested he might reconsider his prior support for using a border compromise to help pass aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
When McConnell’s comments became public, Republican senators who have been working for more than a month to craft a bipartisan compromise reacted strongly, and the GOP leader reiterated that he still backs a package solution.
“I didn’t come here to have the president as a boss or a candidate as a boss,” said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. “I came here to pass good, solid policy.” He called it “immoral for me to think you looked the other way because you think this is the linchpin for President Trump to win.”
Still, the House GOP — which acts like it is a branch of the Trump campaign — remains the chief barrier to passing legislation this year.
In the past three years, Biden has been unable through administrative actions to stem the substantial increase in illegal entries that resulted in part from his liberalization of border procedures and the expectation by asylum-seekers that they would get more lenient treatment.
More recently, the administration has come under political pressure from northern Democratic mayors and governors trying to cope with the influx of illegal migrants sent their way by Republican critics of the administration’s policies.
Senate Republicans refused to consider Biden’s proposal of $106 billion in additional aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan unless it was accompanied by measures to cope with the border crisis. The administration joined the negotiations, and, recognizing the issue’s political potency, Biden reversed his position and said he would enforce any measure that passed, including one authorizing him to shut the border if illegal crossings persist.
There is no guarantee it will pass the Senate, let alone the House. Still, Senate Republicans warned that, because of the administration’s support, it’s the best chance in years to pass legislation to deal with the border problem — if that’s their goal.
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