The House advanced Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) border security package after some last-minute changes on Wednesday, teeing the legislation up for a final vote on Thursday afternoon.
The vote is the last procedural hurdle House Republicans must overcome in order to pass the Secure the Border Act, which seeks to implement several new policies as a means to secure the border and combat illegal immigration. The House is poised to pass the legislation on Thursday afternoon, the same day that the COVID-era Title 42 border policy is set to expire.
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The move to advance the bill comes after an hourslong effort by McCarthy and other GOP leaders to secure enough support within the Republican Party to advance the bill against Democratic opposition. Due to his slim majority in the House, McCarthy could only afford to lose four GOP votes if all members are in attendance. It ultimately advanced with a 215-209 vote along party lines.
Republicans ran into some opposition from within their own party that threatened to sink the legislation, prompting McCarthy to delay Wednesday’s vote until he could iron out some final details. That effort appeared to pay off as Republicans managed to advance the measure with the support of some initial holdouts.
One such change made by McCarthy included adding language to the bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate the effect E-Verify would have on the agricultural sector.
That change came after Republicans expressed concerns with a provision that would require certain employers to utilize E-Verify, a web-based system that confirms a worker’s immigration status and eligibility to work in the United States before being hired. Members argued such a measure would harm the agricultural sector, which often relies on immigrant labor.
Key holdouts on that provision included Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), who both ultimately voted to advance the legislation on Wednesday.
Another change included in the bill's final language is a measure instructing Congress to commission a report that recommends a strategy on how to address Mexican cartels and "whether there should be a designation established to address such cartels." The report would also include information on how such cartels "cause harm to the United States."
That amendment was added after concerns from lawmakers such as Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), who told the Washington Examiner last month he would vote against the legislation because it didn't adequately address the cartels. Crenshaw ultimately voted to advance the legislation.
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House members are set to meet again on Thursday afternoon for a final vote to coincide with the expiration of Title 42, the COVID-19-era rule first implemented under the Trump administration that allows Border Patrol agents to expel illegal immigrants immediately upon encountering them.
Even if Republicans manage to pass the legislation through the House, its future remains uncertain in the Democratic-led Senate. The White House has come out in opposition of the bill, with President Joe Biden threatening to veto the legislation should it reach his desk.