Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday announced that the first three bills up for consideration will focus on enforcing immigration laws, standing with Israel and protecting babies that survive an attempted abortion.
First up is a vote this week on an immigration enforcement bill the House passed on Tuesday called the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia college student murdered by a Venezuelan immigrant who illegally crossed the border but was released on parole.
“Laken’s murderer not only entered the country illegally, he was arrested twice — twice — in the United States and never deported,” Mr. Thune said.
The bill named after Riley “would ensure that illegal immigrants are deported when they are arrested — as Laken’s killer was — for crimes like theft and burglary,” he said
It would also allow states to sue the federal government for not enforcing immigration laws.
Mr. Thune filed cloture on the Senate version of the bill, a key procedural step needed to bring it to the floor.
A first vote is expected on Friday. It will need 60 votes to advance, which would require at least eight Democrats to vote for it.
Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat, joined all Republicans in cosponsoring the bill and some other Democrats are expected to support the procedural vote, but it’s unclear how many.
The second bill the Senate plans to take up this month is a measure to support Israel. It would sanction the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.
“The ICC’s rogue actions only enable the terrorists who seek to wipe Israel off the map — and they cannot be allowed to stand unchecked,” Mr. Thune said.
The House passed the ICC sanctions bill last Congress with bipartisan support and is set to vote on it again Thursday since bills do not carry over.
Mr. Thune expressed his frustration that Senate Democrats did not take up the bill last Congress, saying that supporting Israel is something they “seem to struggle with from time to time.”
That bill, like most legislation, will also need Democratic support to clear the 60-vote threshold.
The third bill that Senate Republicans plan to take up will coincide with the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington on Jan. 24.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act provides babies born alive after an attempted abortion with the same rights to medical care as any other newborn.
“This vote will ask Democrats to answer whether a living baby born after an attempted abortion should be provided with medical care or be left to die,” Mr. Thune said. “It shouldn’t be a hard question.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.