President Joe Biden appeared optimistic that the U.S. Senate would pass a $118 billion package that would significantly change U.S. border policy.
“With 60 votes, and you're gonna watch," President Biden told reporters on Monday.
The bill, which would also provide funding for Ukraine and Israel, was negotiated by Senate Democrats and Republicans. However, some Republicans already appear ready to oppose the bill.
Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that the bill, as currently proposed, would not see the light of day in the House of Representatives.
"Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time," Johnson said in a post on X. "It is DEAD on arrival in the House. We encourage the U.S. Senate to reject it."
Sen. James Lankford, a Republican who helped craft the bill, is imploring members of his party to get behind the legislation. He says it strengthens border security by providing more funds for a border wall, adding border officers and streamlining the deportation process.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has also encouraged his party to act.
"I am grateful to Senator Lankford for working tirelessly to ensure that supplemental national security legislation begins with direct and immediate solutions to the crisis at our southern border," he said in a statement.
President Biden said he expects the bill to be introduced in the Senate on Wednesday.
Senators release deal that pairs border security with aid for Ukraine
The deal quickly ran into a wall of opposition from top House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, who called it "dead on arrival."
