WASHINGTON — Before Congress adjourns for Christmas, lawmakers must decide what to do about President Joe Biden’s request for $106 billion in new spending for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the southern U.S. border. Republicans have made it clear they will not approve any such spending unless Democrats agree to new policies restricting illegal border crossings and asylum.
Although illegal border crossings dropped in October following a three-month increase, Senate Republicans say not enough is being done to slow the flow of migrants into the U.S. Some have suggested tightening the rules for determining which migrants can move forward with their asylum claims.
Currently, asylum seekers are screened for whether they “credit fear of persecution” in their home county on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
“The question is, how do you raise that criteria a little bit more, so you screen for people that really have no basis for being here? They’re coming here for economic reasons,” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, told Spectrum News. “People are taking advantage of that low bar that we see at the border.”
Cuellar is a moderate Democrat who represents a district in south Texas. He said he considers the current credible fear standard too lax, but worries about potential changes that could be too restrictive.
“We should put more money for funding, but when you talk about policy changes, we have to be extremely careful. Do I think we ought to make changes? Of course I do. But how we find that calibration, we have to be very careful,” Cuellar said.
But more progressive Texas Democrats say the solutions to the irregular migration to the southern border go beyond any changes to asylum policy or parole programs, which allows the presidential administration to grant certain noncitizens the ability to live and work temporarily in the U.S. because of humanitarian reasons.
“We have to address the challenges that we face, as well as embrace the opportunities that come with long overdue reforms,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. “This is not the moment to begin eroding our values in exchange for emergency aid.”
The asylum process is just one area of the border and immigration debate that lawmakers are zeroing in on as part of an effort to persuade enough Republicans to back the multibillion dollar aid package to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.
“I called the president last week to make sure he understood that there wouldn’t be a bill without incredible effort to get on top of our disastrous southern border situation,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told journalists Wednesday.
A bipartisan group of Senators is working toward a deal that leaders say will inevitably have to be a narrow agreement. Senate Democratic leaders warn some Republicans are “dangerously” tying support for the democracies of Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to approval of tough new border restrictions.
“Democrats are working to have a good faith conversation with Republicans on what both sides can agree on the border. But you can know one thing for sure that it’s the Republicans holding this up by their insistence on an extraneous and partisan issue,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
It is unclear how a narrow border agreement in the Senate would be received in the Republican-led House.
When asked at a press conference with House GOP leadership about his “redlines” on the border, Speaker Mike Johnson said, “We believe that the border must be secured and the vast majority of the people in this country agree with us wholeheartedly.”
Schumer says he plans to bring Biden’s funding request to the floor next week. He warned his Democratic colleagues to expect working long days in December and possibly weekends, as well.