Dozens of House Democrats assisted Republicans in passing a bill on Tuesday that aims to shore up border security in yet another display of bipartisanship on the contentious issue.
The legislation, which seeks to establish new penalties for individuals who engage in high-speed vehicle chases while fleeing Border Patrol agents within 100 miles of the border, secured a 271-154 majority vote.
A tally by the House clerk showed 215 Republicans and 56 Democrats voted in support of the bill while 154 Democrats and no Republicans voted against it.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) said he was “thrilled” that his Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which he named after a Border Patrol agent killed in a 2022 ATV crash while pursuing a group of illegal immigrants in Texas, passed with bipartisan support.
“Smugglers along the border have led federal and Arizona law enforcement on high-speed chases — and some of these pursuits have ended with deadly consequences,” said Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) in a post to X, adding that he voted to pass the bill “to institute strong new federal penalties.”
One Democrat who opposed the bill was Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL).
“I’m ready to work together to make effective changes to our immigration policies,” Quigley said in a post to X. “However, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act that Republicans passed today isn’t a solution. It’s a partisan messaging bill crafted in bad faith to unfairly target immigrants.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced a companion bill in the upper chamber. Lawmakers said the National Border Patrol Council and other law enforcement groups support the legislation.
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Some of the Democrats who backed the House bill were among the 14 who broke ranks earlier this month and joined with most Republicans in voting to denounce the Biden administration’s “open-borders policies.”
Passage of the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act came as a House committee considered two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. It also took place as Senate negotiators worked to hash out a bipartisan deal coupling aid for U.S. allies, such as Ukraine and Israel, with border security reforms.
“Today the House voted to pass the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act which would impose criminal and immigration penalties against any illegal immigrant who intentionally evades a federal officer while driving,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a post to X. “The House stands shoulder-to-shoulder with every law enforcement officer working to secure the border.”