Senate looks to House plan after abandoning border security amendment

Senate Republicans are abandoning a plan to attach a border amendment to their continuing resolution after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) pivoted to a new plan to put a clean funding stop-gap bill on the floor to keep the government open for 45 days.

A group of mostly Republican senators and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) were working on an amendment that would deliver billions in border security funding in an effort to appease House Republicans. The amendment is now dead after there was not enough support to proceed in the Senate.

“I’m disappointed after we were not able to get an agreement on border provisions,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on Saturday morning.

HOUSE TO PUSH 45-DAY CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON FLOOR THAT EXCLUDES UKRAINE FUNDING

McCarthy abruptly changed the plan on Saturday morning, announcing the House would be taking up a 45-day continuing resolution which would include disaster relief funds but no funding to aid Ukraine, as a potential government shutdown looms. Initially, McCarthy told a group of reporters earlier this week that he wanted to see immigration policy changes added to the continuing resolution.

Senators will meet to vote on their version of the continuing resolution Saturday afternoon. The legislation would provide nearly $6 billion in aid to Ukraine between funding between the Defense Department and the State Department. It also included nearly $6 billion in disaster relief.

On Friday night, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, McCarthy made it clear the Senate’s continuing resolution “has no path forward” in the House.

Tillis, who is a major proponent of aid to Ukraine, said he’d be willing to consider a clear continuing resolution without that funding.

“I think at this point, anything that keeps the government going, I would support,” Tillis said, reflecting on the House’s current plan, which does not include aid to Ukraine.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said they will be watching the House vote very closely.

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“I think it could pass; we just don’t know if they can get it out,” he said, speaking to reporters on Saturday. “We are kind of waiting to see what they do.”

Senate Democrats and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have yet to weigh in on the House’s plan.