Newly sworn-in Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, wants to get legislation tackling the crisis on the southern border to President-elect Trump’s desk immediately, and he thinks it could get enough votes on the floor.
“We have to make certain that we actually do the things that we campaigned on,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview, referencing the border’s prevalence on the campaign trail.
Noting that voters were frequently concerned about “open borders and high prices,” the Ohio Republican, who unseated incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown, said the issues need to be taken on right away.
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“We’re going to make it so that there’s no illegal immigration, that we seal our border, we secure our border, and we deport anybody who’s in this country illegally,” Moreno explained.
The hypothetical legislation would include “funding deportations, making certain that we have the funding to secure the border to make certain that we have a safe and secure border, that we finish the wall, that we put in place the technology, that we put in place the money so that these deportation efforts can happen at scale,” he said.
“We can get it done soon, I’m confident,” the senator claimed. “We can even get a bill in front of President Trump right when he gets sworn in.”
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In order for a measure to pass the Senate outside the budget reconciliation process, it must receive at least 60 votes in a procedural step, overriding the legislative filibuster. The Republicans will have only a 53-vote majority in the 119th Congress, and to beat the filibuster would need Democratic votes to move a bill forward.
“Look, there should be 100 votes for that because that’s not a Republican issue,” Moreno said. “That’s an American issue. I would like to see the Democrats take public positions against securing our border, because that’s insane.”
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could bring such border measures to the floor for votes and put Democratic senators on record when it comes to key GOP-led border bills. This was a tactic frequently used by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who scheduled several votes on abortion, contraception and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
While Moreno wants to see some border-related bills voted on immediately, a portion of legislation on illegal immigration is expected to be included in a reconciliation bill this year, which is also set to address tax cuts, energy and defense.
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“Members of Congress are getting to work on one powerful Bill that will bring our Country back, and make it greater than ever before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “We must Secure our Border, Unleash American Energy, and Renew the Trump Tax Cuts, which were the largest in History, but we will make it even better – NO TAX ON TIPS. IT WILL ALL BE MADE UP WITH TARIFFS, AND MUCH MORE, FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE U.S. FOR YEARS.”
“Republicans must unite, and quickly deliver these Historic Victories for the American People. Get smart, tough, and send the Bill to my desk to sign as soon as possible. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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