Senate Republicans responded to news that Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were going forward on a reconciliation bill addressing climate change and some health care costs by attacking U.S. military veterans suffering from toxic exposure, blocking the final passage of legislation that had overwhelmingly sailed through the chamber just a couple of weeks ago.
Daily Kos’ Laura Clawson wrote Thursday that vindictive Republicans are also planning to pull support for other measures they’d previously indicated were getting a thumbs-up. During a press call that same day, immigrant rights advocates and their allies worried about what Republicans might try to put into the package in order to derail it, including amendments that would continue Stephen Miller’s anti-asylum Title 42 policy indefinitely.
RELATED STORY: Senate Democrats announce deal with Manchin, and Republicans take out their anger on veterans
“On behalf of the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign, I urge the Senate to reject any amendments that would harm immigrant communities or asylum-seekers,” said Melina Roche, #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign Manager. “Addressing climate change, health care, taxes, and inflation is important and desperately needed progress—that’s why the Senate must not set up the budget reconciliation bill to fail by adding in destructive anti-immigrant amendments.”
Miller’s debunked Title 42 policy, a public health order that in reality has used the pandemic as an excuse to violate the U.S. asylum rights of vulnerable people, has frankly had enough help from Democrats as is. Despite Democrats controlling the U.S. House by a much wider margin than the U.S. Senate, the House Appropriations Committee recently passed a GOP-led amendment that would continue Miller’s order. Republican Dan Newhouse’s anti-asylum amendment passed the committee via voice vote, putting no one on the record.
More than 200 organizations subsequently urged House leaders to ensure these anti-asylum amendments don’t get a floor vote. Following Senate Republicans’ attack on veterans as political payback for the passage of a bill that could meet some pressing challenges, these amendments continue to remain a strong threat.
“Like many of my colleagues, I am disappointed and frustrated by the House Appropriations Committee’s inclusion of amendments which would prevent the CDC from ending the application of Title 42 to asylum seekers at the border—and I strongly oppose any effort to codify or prolong Title 42 border expulsions,” said Rep. Judy Chu, who was on the press call. “Rather, Congress should commit to finding a permanent humanitarian solution to ensure adults and families going through the immigration process are received with dignity.”
“If the Senate adopts extremist amendments, like codifying Title 42, to the budget reconciliation bill, we will oppose its passage,” Roche continued. “For far too long, Title 42 has harmed countless migrants and people seeking protection, including those who are especially vulnerable such as Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ asylum-seekers. Furthermore, this policy has only benefitted nefarious actors seizing on the desperation of people fleeing for their lives.”
The New York Times reported more than two years ago how Miller had already concocted the idea of using a public health crisis as a pretext to block asylum-seekers, even stooping to using the deaths of numerous migrant children in U.S. custody as a possible reason. But he repeatedly failed to get support from the other extremists in the previous administration. “That changed with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic,” the report said.
“Republicans blocked the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act—it got 55 votes, but the 42 votes against it prevailed—following the announcement of the reconciliation deal with Manchin,” Clawson continued. “There’s no doubt this was revenge: The bill had overwhelmingly passed the Senate in June, 84 to 14, with Wednesday’s vote being to make technical corrections after it passed the House.” Republicans have already been more than happy to punish immigrants, in fact lamenting when separated families were being reunited too quickly. Now they have even more incentive to push through their hateful agenda if it can possibly help derail Democrats’ plans.
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