Senate negotiators have indicated they will shortly release the text on a national security spending bill they hope can simultaneously fund Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and offer legislative solutions to slow the surge of migrants at the southern border. Yet fresh criticism Monday from former President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders threatened to derail the efforts. The deal, worked out by Senators James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) would require the Department of Homeland Security to nearly shut down the southern border if migrant crossings increase above 5,000 per day on any given week or if average daily encounters reach a 4,000-a-day threshold in a one-week span. The Senate is likely poised for a showdown with the House as it gets ready to move ahead with legislation, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) warning that it is likely dead on arrival in the lower chamber. Senior Senate aides say they expect the legislation to reach the Senate floor before the end of next week, though leaders haven’t yet formally announced a decision on timing.
The Senate will reconvene for the week at 3:00 P.M. and is expected to vote on confirmation of the nomination of Joshua Paul Kolar to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.
The House reconvened for votes at 12:00 P.M. and is expected to complete work on H.R. 5585 – Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which would create new criminal offenses for operating a vehicle within 100 miles of the southern border while fleeing from Border Patrol agents, or any law enforcement officer assisting the U.S. Border Patrol, including serious jail time
