'Trainwreck': Conservative GOP senators break on border, Ukraine deal as Donald Trump pressures Republicans

WASHINGTON – Lawmakers have spent months battling over aid to Ukraine and solutions for the crisis at America's southern border. But some of the Senate's more conservative Republicans are increasingly wary of a bipartisan plan to address both issues as former President Donald Trump weighs in, creating additional challenges for negotiations that are already a political minefield. Several Senate Republicans argued during a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the package, which seeks to tie together border programs and aid to Ukraine, would not actually increase the president’s ability to slow migration to the U.S. The comments come as Trump – the dominant GOP presidential frontrunner – is pressuring Congressional Republicans to reject the deal. “This supplemental bill is a kamikaze plane in a box canyon with no exit headed for a trainwreck,” quipped Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “From what I’m hearing, this could cause as many problems as it solves,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. More:'We have sharp elbows': Nikki Haley braces for home-state dirty tricks in Trump fight Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide The deal – which has not yet been finalized – would reportedly make it harder for migrants to claim asylum, make it easier for U.S. officials to deport migrants who have remained in the country illegally, expand detention capacity and add Border Patrol staff. It would also bar additional migrants from entering the country if the system becomes overwhelmed, which Republican lawmakers said would mean a cap of 5,000 migrants per day. Get the On Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get in the conversation with political analysis, election news and breaking insights from our politics team. Delivery: Mon - Thu Your Email Lee, Cruz and Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. raised concerns that such a threshold could effectively set migration at that level, which they deem too high. The conservative leaders on Wednesday also said the package stands no chance of passing in the House, where some members on both the right and left have raised concerns with the proposal. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference with Republican Senators about border security issues at the U.S. Capitol January 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. “I think this is dead on arrival in the House,” Scott said. “We should not be voting for anything as Republicans in the Senate if the Republicans in the House don’t support it.” It’s not clear if the Senate-negotiated deal would fail in the lower chamber. But the odds aren't great: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has expressed doubt about a compromise that doesn’t resemble the hardline border bill House Republicans passed last year. The speaker has argued all aspects of their bill – referred to as H.R. 2 – must be passed together in a comprehensive package to address the southern border. The criticism from conservative senators came ahead of a private Wednesday afternoon meeting that stretched on for roughly an hour and a half. During the gathering, the full group of GOP senators aired their concerns or made their case for Ukraine funding and tying it to the border and immigration debate. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio told reporters after the lengthy meeting that most minds weren’t changed. The discussion was instead for senators to express their positions surrounding American support for the war in Ukraine, including an “exit strategy” and the “depletion of reserves.” More:McConnell and many Senate Republican leaders haven't endorsed Trump. They're increasingly alone. Jul 12, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; JD Vance at his office in the Senate Russell Building in Washington, D.C., July 12, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY ORG XMIT: USAT-715901 [Via MerlinFTP Drop] The Donald Trump factor The debate between senators that erupted on Capitol Hill in recent weeks isn't purely about policy. Election year politics have also influenced conversations, as some Republicans raise concerns that the border package would give President Joe Biden a victory on a hot-button campaign issue. Fresh off his win in the New Hampshire primary, Trump has started pressuring congressional Republicans to reject the deal. Some senators have grown concerned Trump’s musings could endanger what are incredibly delicate negotiations. “If someone is running for president and is trying to actively undermine governance, that’s bad,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told USA TODAY. “Is it really better to have 10,000 people crossing a day illegally or 5,000? Clearly it’s 5,000. So somebody who is trying to defeat legislation, all in the name of running for office? That is irresponsible.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., acknowledged the new political challenges of linking Ukraine aid to border policy in the closed-door meeting Wednesday, according to reporting by Punchbowl. "We don’t want to do anything to undermine" Trump, McConnell reportedly said. "We're in a quandry." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a press conference following the Republicans weekly policy luncheon on January 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. And as Trump remains the dominant 2024 GOP frontrunner after winning the critical states of Iowa and New Hampshire, some of his allies in the Senate appear to be welcoming his input on whatever deal emerges. “He’ll be the next Republican president. If we expect him to be able to secure the border, he ought to be able to see this bill and he ought to be able to be engaged and say ‘Is this gonna help me secure the border or not?’” Scott said. “I think we’re gonna hear his opinion almost certainly,” Vance, one of the former president’s strongest supporters in the Senate said. “I think it’s an important opinion because he’s effectively (the) leader of the party.” Proponents of the deal are arguing the proposal would empower Trump if he regains office – and that Congress has a unique opportunity to get something done. The last attempt at major border or immigration policy change came in 2013, which passed the Senate but never came up for a vote in the House. “I think if anyone’s intellectually honest with themselves, they all know that these would be extraordinary tools for President Trump,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has been a vocal advocate of additional aid to Ukraine. He said Trump asked for additional tools to manage the border when he was president. “These tools, he will use. It may be politically difficult to deal with it now, but we will rue the day if we miss this opportunity.” For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.