Moderates in the House Democratic caucus forced leaders to postpone efforts to pass a border funding measure that includes progressive provisions destined for rejection by the Senate.
Democrats had hoped to pass the measure with a strong, but partisan majority this afternoon in order to have leverage in negotiations with the Trump administration on a final compromise.
But moderates want House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to take up the bipartisan Senate bill, which passed 84-8 on Wednesday and leaves out the progressive provisions. They have threatened to sink the Democratic bill.
The House is now in recess, with lawmakers wondering what, if any measure, will come up for a vote as they prepare to adjourn for the July 4 recess.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned he would move to table the House measure because it leaves out money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and excludes funding for the military, which has been sending troops to the border to help deal with a massive wave of illegal immigration.
Progressives aren’t backing down. In a tweet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., blamed McConnell for rejecting the proposed House measure.
“His Senate bill is a militarization bill,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “McConnell killed the House Bill & dropped this one right before recess to force passage.”
She added, “Well, too bad. This is our job. Cancel vacation, fly the Senate in. Pass a clean humanitarian bill & stop trying to squeeze crises for more pain.”
Pelosi spoke with Vice President Mike Pence by phone this afternoon and is discussing options with her leadership team.
Both the House and Senate measures provide about $4.5 billion in emergency funding to agencies coping with more than 100,000 illegal immigrants apprehended along the border in each of the past several months.
The progressive wing of the House Democrats opposes any funding aimed at either deterring additional illegal immigration at the southern border or funding that could be used to deport illegal immigrants.
Republicans are blaming Pelosi for trying to please her large, progressive wing.
“Pelosi is so afraid of upsetting her band of radicals that she’s standing in the way of sending critical aid to kids at the border,” Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said. “Even Chuck Schumer supported the bipartisan funding bill passed in the Senate, yet she won’t even allow a vote on it in the House. This is absurd.”
