Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) is spearheading an effort to slow down the passage of spending legislation that may combine Ukraine aid with border security reforms.
The conservative lawmaker announced this week he would be offering a resolution to GOP colleagues as bipartisan negotiations on a deal appear to be nearing a close with the encouragement of leadership.
“Resolved, the Senate Republican conference will oppose cloture on any supplemental spending bill containing border provisions without adequate time to review and offer and vote on floor amendments,” the resolution says, according to Lee.
Cloture is invoked when a three-fifths majority of the 100-member chamber, or 60 senators, vote to end debate and stifle filibuster attempts. Lee would need 41 members to prevail. Republicans currently make up half the Senate.
The Hill reported Lee urged his colleagues during the meeting on Wednesday to push for at least three weeks to allow senators to review the legislation.
Lee provided an update to X, saying his “resolution that Senate GOP must publicly debate any so-called ‘border deal'” was now co-sponsored by nine other Republicans.
🚨 🚨 🚨
UPDATE: my resolution that Senate GOP must publicly debate any so-called “border deal” is now cosponsored by @JDVance1, @RogerMarshallMD, @marcorubio, @MarshaBlackburn, @RandPaul, @SenRickScott, @SenRonJohnson, @SenatorBraun, & @HawleyMO. https://t.co/qdmeFpYp6b
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) January 24, 2024
Some of the GOP lawmakers listed in Lee’s post to X criticized the deal before its unveiling.
“A ‘deal’ will allow [President Joe] Biden to pretend he’s doing something about the border but it won’t solve the problem. If he won’t even enforce our existing law he is NOT going to enforce even tougher ones,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
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“Democrats want an open border and are negotiating for political cover,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). “Republicans must insist that anything we support will actually secure the border and effectively force Biden and the Democrats to honor the agreement and enforce the law.”
Biden’s request last year for roughly $106 billion in supplemental funds to spend on U.S. allies, such as Ukraine and Israel, as well as border security, has led to bipartisan talks on attaching an immigration reform deal.
Democrat and Republican senators who are leading the discussions have indicated they are close to an agreement but do not expect details to be released this week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Monday that negotiators are working to “finalize the most substantial border security policy in thirty years” and their agreement “would come not a moment too soon.” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Democrats are “serious” about wrapping up the supplemental.