President Biden Receives Boos as Republicans’ Border Bill Fails to Gain Democratic Support
In a recent development, President Biden faced backlash as he spoke about the bipartisan border bill, receiving boos from the audience. The bill, introduced by Senate Republicans, aimed to prevent non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, from being counted on the census for apportionment of House seats and Electoral College representation. However, the measure failed to gain the support of any Democrats, ultimately leading to its downfall.
Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee, proposed an amendment to the $460 billion spending package, which would require the inclusion of a citizenship question in future censuses. Additionally, the amendment sought to exclude anyone who is not a U.S. citizen from being counted for congressional district and Electoral College apportionment. While legal immigrants on temporary visas and green cards would also be excluded, the primary objective was to prevent the counting of illegal immigrants amidst the ongoing surge at the southern border.
This effort echoes a similar one undertaken during the Trump administration, where a citizenship question was proposed for the 2020 census. However, Democrats and left-wing immigration groups criticized the move, arguing that it was unlawful and designed to benefit Republicans in future elections. Senator Hagerty believes that Democrats in “sanctuary” cities and other areas are willing to accept the consequences of the migrant surge to gain greater representation in the House of Representatives and Electoral College through redistricting.
Conservative experts have raised concerns about the potential impact of the migrant surge on House apportionment. Lora Ries from the Heritage Foundation, along with R.J. Hauman from the National Immigration Center for Enforcement, warned that illegal immigration distorts representation in Congress. They emphasized the need to exclude non-citizens from apportionment to ensure that American citizens, the only population eligible to vote, have a fair say in choosing the country’s leaders.
Unfortunately, Senator Hagerty’s amendment failed to garner enough support, with 51 Democrats and Independents voting against it or not being present. Only one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, joined them in voting against the measure. The mostly united Republican support suggests that the bill could potentially pass in the GOP-controlled House.
The immigration issue remains a heated topic, and President Biden recently visited the southern border to address the concerns. During the State of the Union, he urged Congress to pass a bipartisan border bill, emphasizing the urgency of fixing the border. The proposed bill aims to increase staffing at the border, provide additional funding to cities and NGOs assisting migrants, and set a limit on border entries. However, conservatives argue that the trigger of 5,000 entries per day would only normalize already excessive levels of illegal immigration.
As the 2024 campaign trail unfolds, immigration continues to be a crucial issue, with both Republicans and Democrats presenting differing approaches to address the challenges at the southern border.
