What to Know in Washington: House GOP to Push Border Wall Build

Wall construction would resume across the southern border under a new proposal from House Republicans.

The House Homeland Security Committee is set to unveil the bill today, just days after their colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced a sweeping plan to increase immigrant detention, tighten asylum access, and make other changes to federal immigration laws.

The homeland panel’s bill, which the committee plans to vote on this week, would require spending for border infrastructure and technology and would boost the Border Patrol to 22,000 agents, according to a committee aide granted anonymity to discuss the legislation before its release.

Republicans are using the multi-pronged legislative effort to try to make good on campaign promises to tighten border enforcement, with migrant encounters hitting records during much of President Joe Biden’s tenure so far. Any House-passed border legislation is likely to come to a standstill in the Senate, though narrower provisions could serve as fodder for future immigration negotiations.

Photographer: Getty Images/Getty Images

Migrants who crossed the border through the river into the US from Mexico wait next to the border wall where US Border Patrol agents stand guard on March 30, 2023 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

House Republican leaders are eyeing a floor vote on border measures in May, but they’ll still have to contend with objections within their party. The Judiciary panel amended its bill to address some GOP worries about asylum access, but other Republicans have raised concerns about a requirement for employers to check workers’ status through the E-Verify program.

It remains to be seen whether the Homeland package becomes as divisive as its Judiciary companion. Some of the provisions, including funding for border technology, may attract bipartisan support.

The border wall mandate, however, will ensure many Democrats line up against the legislation; former President Donald Trump made the border wall a central plank of his presidential campaign. Democrats are also likely to oppose a measure that would block DHS from using an app called CBP One to allow would-be border-crossers to schedule appointments to seek entry to the US. Read more from Ellen M. Gilmer.

BIDEN’S SCHEDULE

• At 2 p.m., the president, the First Lady, and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona honor the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2023 Teachers of the Year.
• At 3:15 p.m., Biden meets three Tennessee state lawmakers—Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson—who faced political repercussions from their colleagues after interrupting a session to protest gun violence.
• White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan give a briefing after 1 p.m.

CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE

• The House meets at 11 a.m. for a pro forma session. No votes are expected.
• The Senate returns tomorrow to consider a Veterans Affairs Department nominee.

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To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com; Michaela Ross in Washington at mross@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com