Senate leaders stick together on border-Ukraine bill

Biden ready to back action on border security

Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for January 18, 2024:

• Congress likely to vote today to avoid a partial shutdown.

• GOP Senators lobby House Republicans on border package.

• Trump allies take aim at the head of the Freedom Caucus.

---

BORDER-UKRAINE. Senate leaders in both parties on Wednesday expressed growing optimism about plans to combine a bipartisan agreement on border security plus aid for Israel and Ukraine - with Senate debate starting very soon. "My assumption is we're likely to be on that in the Senate next week," Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters.

• MEETING. The future of that package was the main agenda item in a White House meeting between President Biden and Congressional leaders on Wednesday - as Biden again made the case to help Ukraine fight off a Russian military invasion, and tie that to border security efforts.

• STATEMENT. "The President also made clear that we must act now to address the challenges at the border," the White House said in a statement. "He expressed his commitment to reaching a bipartisan agreement on border policy."

• WHITE HOUSE. "The President himself said over and over again, that he is willing to move forward on border," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. "I am more optimistic now that we can come to an agreement on border and Ukraine in one package."

• BORDER. Let's remember one thing - there still is not an official deal from the Senate border security talks. "I have not used the word optimistic yet," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), the lead Democratic negotiator. "It's not surprising that it is taking us some time to work out the final few issues."

SPEAKER. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson sounded a note of caution, which echoed the misgivings of many House Republicans. "We had a productive meeting," Johnson said to reporters at the White House. "I told the President what I have been saying for many months, and that is that we must have change at the border - substantive policy change."

---

HOUSE V. SENATE. I really think the most interesting thing to develop in recent days on Capitol Hill is the willingness of GOP Senators to send a public message to House Republicans - making the case to accept a Senate border deal now, and not wait for a new Congress and a new President in order to act.

• SENATE. "We don't have time to wait," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), as he quoted the border security concerns of the Governor of Texas. "Gov. Abbott is right, we can't wait until November to fix this problem.”

• H.R. 2. What House Republicans want is their border security bill or nothing else. But that plan - which is fiercely opposed by Democrats - cannot get past a Senate filibuster. "Regrettably, we don’t have the votes," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), as he also lobbied the House GOP to accept a Senate deal.

PRAGMATIC. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has gone one step further - arguing that this border security deal - the details of which we still haven't seen - is probably better than anything Republicans could get, even if they controlled the Congress and the White House after the 2024 elections.

• MCCONNELL. "We probably would not be able to get a single Democratic vote to pass what Senator Lankford and the (Biden) administration are trying to get together on," McConnell told reporters. "This is a unique opportunity to accomplish something in divided government."

• DEAL. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but I think McConnell is absolutely right. The only option for the GOP - if they want to get something done - is a bipartisan border deal. But that won’t be acceptable to some House Republicans - who are sure to scream ‘AMNESTY’ no matter what the details show.

---

SPIDEY SENSES. Maybe it was the mouse that skittered under my feet in the press gallery yesterday - but I just felt a different vibe in the Capitol. I would call it, "The fix is in," vibe. In other words, there were moves that sent the signal that Senate leaders are trying very hard to work together on border security and Ukraine aid.

• NEXT WEEK. One hint came from Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who told reporters that he expected action next week on the border/Ukraine bill. McConnell should not have been the first to make that news. But he was.

• NO QUESTIONS. Down at the White House, leaders of both parties gave statements to reporters after a meeting with President Biden - but took no questions. That choice told me they were trying to stay focused.

• ZIP IT. Key negotiators are still saying as little as possible in public about details of the border security talks. At some point, we’re going to finally see the text of the deal. But both parties have been keeping a lid on that work.

NERD NOTE. Could this border/Ukraine plan fall apart? Absolutely, it could easily go down in flames. Getting something through the House and Senate on illegal immigration would be a major legislative achievement. For now, a lot of Senators are pulling in the same direction. Whether it can work is a different matter.

---

SHUTDOWN. The Senate reached an agreement last night which will allow for a final vote by around 2 pm today on a temporary funding plan to avoid a partial government shutdown this week. It's expected that the House will also quickly vote to send the measure to the President’s desk.

• STOPGAP. The plan sets up two new shutdown deadlines on March 1 and March 8 - as the Congress struggles to forge the 12 government funding bills for this year. This work should have been completed by October 1 of last year.

• HOUSE. The last time the House voted on a CR, 93 Republicans voted against it. Senior Republicans expect that same level of opposition this time. "Honestly, they're just making a political calculation," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), who said those GOP lawmakers would have voted ‘yes’ - but 'don't want a primary.'

---

MAYORKAS. A leading Republican told reporters on Wednesday that a House committee may take up articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the end of January. "It's absolutely disgraceful, what he's done," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said of Mayorkas.

• TESTIMONY. Amid a back and forth with Republicans over whether Mayorkas will be called in to testify, McCaul said the DHS chief has totally failed in his job to secure the southern border. "I've dealt with it for 25 years," McCaul said just off the House floor. "I've never seen it like this."

• IMPEACHMENT. The Homeland Security Committee will hold a second official hearing about Mayorkas today. It will feature painful stories from people who lost loved ones to drugs coming in from Mexico. "Mr. Mayorkas is partially responsible for my daughter's death," one Arizona woman will testify.

RESOLUTION. Amid the broader battle over border security, the House on Wednesday approved a non-binding GOP resolution denouncing Biden Administration policies at the border. Even though it had no teeth - 14 Democrats broke ranks to vote for it. Almost all of them are in swing seats or a border state.

• FOURTEEN DEMS. Allred TX, Caraveo CO, Craig MN, Cuellar TX, Davis NC, Golden ME, V. Gonzalez TX, Landsman OH, Lee NV, Moskowitz FL, Nickel NC, Peltola AK, Perez WA, and Sorensen IL. (Note: Allred is running for U.S. Senate in Texas against Sen. Ted Cruz.)

---

GLUE TRAPS. There are a lot of bills that get introduced each year in the Congress. Most of them don't get much attention in the press. Maybe I've seen something like this before - but I don't remember a bill to ban glue traps - those sticky traps that you might use to get rid of the mice in your basement or attic.

• LIEU. "Glue traps are among the cruelest ways to eliminate rodents," said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who unveiled a bill to ban those devices. "They're inhumane and can be dangerous to humans and their pets."

• DEFINITION. The bill defines a glue trap this way - "any device containing a non-drying adhesive designed to cause the death of a rodent through starvation, dehydration, or suffocation by trapping the rodent with the adhesive and rendering the rodent incapable of freeing itself from the adhesive."

---

NOT GOOD. The new head of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), is supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis for President. And that is not going over well with backers of former President Donald Trump, who are putting a thumb on the scale against Good in his GOP primary this year.

• CHALLENGE. "Bob Good has been working against Trump and bad mouthing him for almost a year," said Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, who is challenging Good. McGuire just got back from helping Trump campaign for the Iowa Caucus - and was eagerly posting his photo with Trump.

MRS. GREENE OF GEORGIA. Meanwhile, Good was verbally pummeled by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) for backing DeSantis. "President Trump is going to win in 24, and he needs loyal America First warriors NOT Congressmen on a power trip who will stab him in the back," Greene tweeted.

---

BAYOU STATE. I told you earlier this week how Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) was getting screwed over in a new GOP map of Congressional districts in Louisiana. Graves denounced the effort yesterday, as the Louisiana state Senate voted 27-11 to approve the plan, which tosses him in a district with Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA).

• GRAVES. "It doesn't pass the laugh test in my mind," Graves told reporters off the House floor. "I don't think there's a chance in the world that if the legislature actually approves this, that a court would uphold it."

• LANDRY. Graves also took a shot at Gov. Jeff Landry (R), who is pushing this map. "I think strategically, it's a stupid move by a Republican Governor," as the new plan includes a likely second seat for Democrats, which could further eat away at the GOP majority.

• FUTURE. "It is my plan to run again," Graves said when asked about his plans for 2024. But there was a caveat. "I want to be very clear that I expect to run in a district that looks a lot like the one that we have today." But there's no guarantee of that.

---

CASUALTY LIST. Another Republican has opted against reelection in November. First elected in 2010, Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) announced yesterday that he would not seek another term. Four months ago, Duncan's wife accused him of having multiple affairs, including one with a D.C. lobbyist. His seat should be safe for the GOP.

• NUMBERS. We officially have a trend in 2024. All of the retirement announcements so far have been made by Republicans. As of now, 39 House members won't be back after November - 22 Democrats and 17 Republicans.

---

RAP SHEET. A Maine man is expected to plead guilty today to Jan. 6 charges against him. Matthew Brackley entered the building with the initial wave of rioters through the Senate Wing Door. He joined with dozens of others to repeatedly overwhelm and push past police inside the Capitol - but was ultimately stopped by pepper spray near the Senate chamber.

---

MUSE OF HISTORY.  January 18, 1923.  On this date, Senate hearings into the Teapot Dome scandal were derailed, when the head of the Sinclair Oil Corporation refused to answer questions from Senators dealing with his own personal financial interests.  Harry Sinclair would ultimately be held in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena - losing his appeal six years later at the U.S. Supreme Court.

---

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House convenes at 10 am.

The Senate meets at 11 am.

Check President Biden’s schedule.

Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree.

Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com

If you want to say ‘thanks’ - you can buy me a cup of coffee.