House Rejects Border Bill

The House of Representatives rejected a bill regarding border security this weekend just hours after accepting a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine. Both bills placed increased attention on the role of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) amid increasing calls from some Republicans to oust him.

The border bill was defeated Saturday by a margin of 215-199. In order to pass under suspension of the rules it needed a two-thirds ‘yea’ vote. Johnson sought the passage of the End the Border Catastrophe Act to limit the number of migrants allowed to seek asylum in the United States and pass stronger border protection measures.

Critics said that it did not go far enough.

The House accelerated its consideration of the aid for Ukraine, as well as separate bills for Ukraine and Taiwan after a large-scale Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel.

Johnson argued that Iran, Russia and China represented threats to their neighbors and to the world.

Following the passage of the Ukraine bill, Johnson’s GOP critics increased their calls for his ouster. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said that the bill’s passage meant that Democrats were effectively in control of the House.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) criticized Johnson as well. He wrote that he believe that the primary focus should be on the border situation and not on foreign policy.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who signed onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) motion to vacate against Johnson wrote on social media that Johnson wanted a “separate show-vote on border” as political cover for Republicans who voted for the foreign aid bills.

WHAT HAPPENED:

We told Johnson to attach US border bill to foreign aid & put in same rule.

Johnson needed Dems, wanted separate show-vote on border to give guys like Andy (who voted for $100b foreign aid) political cover.

We refused to go along with charade in rules committee! https://t.co/nph83qKPvB

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 20, 2024

“We refused to go along with charade in rules committee!” he wrote.

Since President Joe Biden took office in 2021 there have been more than seven million estimated migrant crossings into the country. That includes more than three million attempted crossings by illegal aliens in 2023, which set a new record. In addition, more than 300,000 migrants attempted to cross into the country in December 2023, which was also a new record.