The massive spending bill Democrats are trying to push through – with the help of McConnell – might be on the verge of falling apart.
Republican Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) went on a tear on the evening of December 21, 2022, and added an amendment to the monstrous spending bill that would extend Title 42 expulsion that is set to expire this week.
Lee explained on his personal Twitter account that the Omnibus bill “contains nothing to secure the border, and in fact contains language undermining border security. Without an up-or-down vote on Title 42, every Senate Republican should oppose cloture on this bill.”
The Republican Senator also knows that Senate Democrats would approve the amendment, but House Democrats won’t, and that means the bill would be DOA to the House.
The addition of Title 42 forced Schumer to shut down the Senate.
No more votes in the Senate tonight. Omnibus in trouble. Title 42 amendment causing big problems.
— Trish Turner (@caphilltrish) December 22, 2022
It was a panic move. Schumer knows Dems in the Senate would approve Title 42 but the House won’t touch and that means the bill is done for.
Omnibus hits turbulence over a GOP Title 42 amendment that could pass the Senate and sink the legislation in the House. Votes are delayed, not happening tonight as expected hours ago. https://t.co/O9fFdKaogi
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 22, 2022
Senator Lee’s move also appears to have united Republicans in the Senate who were going to approve the bill. The amendment has given cover to Republicans like Lindsy Graham to now reject the Omnibus bill.
It is outrageous that Senate Democrats are refusing to allow a vote on @SenMikeLee amendment to extend Title 42 expulsion authority.
The Lee amendment is relevant to the underlying legislation and represents good policy for the United States.#Omnibus
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 22, 2022
Graham added, “Republicans are willing to work with Democrats, but not at all costs.” He added if the bill fails “because Democrats care more about letting Title 42 lapse than funding the federal government, so be it.”
“The bill is hanging by a thread,” said Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware and it looks like Title 42 will kill it.
There are also reports from Capitol Hill that Schumer was summoned to the White House after Lee single handily torched the bill.
Schumer is throwing a hail mary and is going to try to write his own Title 42 amendment to sway Republicans his way.
NEW — Democrats have drafted and circulated a side-by-side amendment on Title 42. We hinted at this option this am in @PunchbowlNews
This would give Rs and Ds a vote and essentially cancel out the gop amendment.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 22, 2022
Maybe internal GOP polling was so bad about the bill Republicans finally got their act together. Maybe it was a McConnell ruse all along to point out the border is so bad and stall Biden. We’ll never know. But we should all thank Senator Mike Lee for doing the best that he could. It now makes sense why RINOs tried to get rid of him during the last election cycle.
