Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's plan to pass a border deal after holding off on an end-of-the-year holiday break will not succeed.
Schumer reportedly has plans to link an overhaul to border security with aid for Ukraine and Israel and other national security interests.
Cornyn made his prediction during an appearance on Fox News Sunday with host Shannon Bream.
“They feel like they’re making some progress, but I know Sen. Schumer thinks there’s going to be some deal cut behind closed doors and then jam it through the Senate and then jam the House," Cornyn said adding, "That’s not going to happen."
“We are making some progress, but this isn’t just about money," he continued. "This is about policies that will actually stem the flow of mass migration across the border, along with the drugs and everything that goes with it."
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“All we are asking for the president to do is to actually enforce the law, and now that we’ve got the purse strings of Congress that Congress controls, we are hoping to use that as leverage to change those policies,” Cornyn said of Senate Republicans. “What we’re asking for is humane, orderly, and legal immigration."
"Right now, the only people benefitting from the status quo are the human smugglers, the criminal organizations that are getting richer by the day along with the drug cartels,” he added. “And for the last three years, President Biden has demonstrated he simply didn’t care. Well, apparently, now, he cares. We’ve got his attention and we intend to do something about it.”
Despite Congress being scheduled for an end-of-the-year recess, the Senate Majority Leader announced last week that the upper chamber would remain in session for another week to address President Joe Biden's $100 billion request for supplemental national security.
“Members need to be here next week. We have to get this done. Our Republican colleagues who have said action on the border is so urgent should have no problem with continuing to work next week,” Schumer said. “We hope to come to an agreement. But no matter what, members should be aware that we will vote on a supplemental proposal next week.”
Last week, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson commented on Biden's request for national security measures.
"Since I became Speaker in late October, I have clearly and consistently told the White House and Leader Schumer that we must secure our own border before we secure another country's," Johnson wrote in an X post.
"For some reason, the Biden Administration waited until this week to even begin negotiations with Congress on the border issue," Johnson continued. "While that work should continue, the House will not wait around to receive and debate a rushed product."
