Republican opposition has mounted against a $118.2 billion bipartisan border deal and foreign aid package ahead of a key vote in the Senate.
The bill is now on track to fail, as GOP infighting threatens to steamroll any congressional response to the border, as well as put aid to Ukraine and Israel in jeopardy.
Despite containing policy aimed at toughening border restrictions pushed for by conservatives, the deal has faced relentless attacks from former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who has said the bill would be dead on arrival in his chamber — if it ever makes it out of the Senate.
Trump, who is hoping to make immigration a key plank of his presidential campaign, has suggested on Truth Social that approving more resources for the border would make Republicans “look bad.”
Offering a blunt assessment of the grim prospects facing the bill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that the deal “will not become law,” due to Johnson’s opposition and concerns within the Senate GOP conference.
“We had a very robust discussion about whether or not this product could ever become law, and it’s been made pretty clear to us by the speaker that it will not become law,” he said.
A majority of Senate Republicans are now either actively planning to vote “no” during the first procedural vote on the package or leaning against the bill.
Many Republicans have attacked the policy directly, and some have argued there should be more time to consider, debate, and amend the bill after it was released on Sunday.
