(RightIsRight.co) – Having come under political attack by members of his own party, United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has surrendered and withdrawn his support for what was at one point a bipartisan border security bill.
The first procedural vote for the Senate pro-migration border bill, initially scheduled for Wednesday, now faces uncertainty. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) may still proceed despite McConnell’s reversal.
McConnell pointed to the overwhelming opposition within Senate Republicans as the reason for recommending blocking the bill’s advancement, according to Punchbowl News.
“The political mood in the country has changed since negotiations began months ago,” McConnell stated, as reported by Punchbowl. Initially in favor of the deal, he did not express any personal hesitations about the legislation to his colleagues.
The border compromise had been tied to foreign aid for Ukraine, a cause championed by McConnell. However, Democrats utilized McConnell’s support for Ukraine aid as leverage, offering the border compromise in exchange for assistance to the European nation.
Schumer highlighted the bipartisan collaboration on the deal, stating, “I have never worked more closely with Leader McConnell on any piece of legislation as we did on this,” during a press briefing on Sunday.
Despite denials from McConnell’s chosen Republican lead negotiator Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and other allies, leaked details of the deal were confirmed upon the bill’s release on Sunday. The revelation of overwhelming opposition prompted McConnell to alter his stance Monday night.
Even Lankford, who had been advocating for the deal, remained undecided after Monday night’s Senate Republican Conference meeting, according to the Huffington Post.
The bill, if passed, would institutionalize many of the open border pro-migration policies enacted by President Biden, which have led to a surge of migration overwhelming law enforcement at the southern border.
