Schumer Pivots Back to Bipartisan Border Deal

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced yesterday that the chamber will hold votes on legislation that mirrors the bipartisan border security agreement that was dropped from the national security supplemental talks earlier this year. A procedural vote on The Border Act — which contains various reforms to border-focused statutes that govern border patrol hiring authority and training, “catch-and-release,” asylum processing, and border community support — is expected to occur before the chamber gavels out for the Memorial Day state work period on Thursday. While the measure is not expected to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to advance, Leader Schumer indicated that he plans to use some of the remaining floor time this spring and summer to shift the focus back to border security as a means of placing pressure on House and Senate Republicans to come back to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, the Senate will return later today to resume consideration of pending judicial nominations.