Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has advised GOP senators to block the motion to proceed with the border security bill during a Wednesday vote, as reported by Punchbowl News.
This development comes after closed-door meetings where McConnell emphasized a “change” in the political climate as a rationale for opposing the bill negotiated by Senator Lankford.
As the GOP senators convened on Monday night to deliberate over the compromised border bill, it became evident that the likelihood of obtaining the necessary 60 votes to move forward with the national security package was dwindling.
“McConnell recommended to GOP senators behind closed doors that they BLOCK the border bill on Wednesday, per multiple sources, bc it’s clear that most Republicans are preparing to vote no — either because they oppose the bill or want more time,” according to Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio.
“McConnell explicitly recommended a NO vote on cloture on the motion to proceed, according to several attendees. McConnell said the problem isn’t what Lankford negotiated, it’s that the political mood in the country has changed,” he added.
McConnell explicitly recommended a NO vote on cloture on the motion to proceed, according to several attendees.
McConnell said the problem isn’t what Lankford negotiated, it’s that the political mood in the country has changed. https://t.co/xd1bSJnBJE
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) February 6, 2024
According to CNN reporter, Manu Raju, a majority of the 49-member Senate GOP Conference has indicated their opposition to the border plan.
“A majority of the 49-member Senate GOP Conference is signaling opposition to the border plan, the latest sign that getting to 60 votes Wednesday to advance the national security package is growing increasingly grim. GOP senators have been meeting since 6pET on the issue. John Kennedy just popped out and I asked him about the meeting. “Manu, we are in the middle of an intervention,” he said. “I can’t talk now.””
A majority of the 49-member Senate GOP Conference is signaling opposition to the border plan, the latest sign that getting to 60 votes Wednesday to advance the national security package is growing increasingly grim.
GOP senators have been meeting since 6pET on the issue.
John…
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 5, 2024
Meetings among GOP senators that extended into the evening reflect the party’s concerted effort to reach a consensus on the issue. Despite these discussions, divisions remain, particularly over the substance of the package negotiated by Senator Lankford.
Lankford clarified that there was no intention to exclude anyone, including House Speaker Johnson, from the discussions.
“We definitely didn’t shut him out. He asked not to be included from the earliest days. So we didn’t shut him out in any way,” Lankford claimed.
Speaker Johnson defended his claim that he was excluded by Lankford and McConnell during the border deal.
“When the effort first began when the Senate was going to work on their compromise bill, I went in and met with Mitch McConnell, and he and his office and he talked about how they were going to begin this process,” he said, per CNN reporter Haley Talbot.
“And I said, ‘Well, it might be a good idea for the House to be involved.’ And they said, ‘No, no, no, the Senate is going to work on this and we’ll put together something that’s palatable for the House.’”
“I wanted to send in our committees of jurisdiction, the chairs of our committees of jurisdiction of judiciary and homeland security, perhaps foreign affairs, but that was rejected.”
Speaker Johnson stands by his claim tonight.
“When the effort first began when the Senate was going to work on their compromise bill, I went in and met with Mitch McConnell, and he and his office and he talked about how they were going to begin this process,” he said, per…
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 6, 2024
