Breitbart reported that the Senate advanced a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill on Tuesday which includes another $45 billion worth of additional aid to Ukraine.
Yet the legislation now appears to face a serious risk of failing, and the reason why will have many Americans cheering.
According to Fox News, Democrats are ready to balk over an amendment written by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee which would keep a Trump-era COVID measure known as Title 42 in effect.
Under Title 42, illegal immigrants can be swiftly removed from the country. While lawyers for the Biden administration are asking the Supreme Court to throw out the rule, Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily blocked a lower court ruling which struck it down.
A Fox News poll conducted in May found that 63% of Americans wanted Title 42 to remain in effect. What's more, even some Democrats are calling for it to remain.
Texas Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez told CNN Newsroom on Tuesday that "most people here in south Texas agree that enforcing Title 42, at least for the near future, is a good idea."
However, he complained that the Biden administration "has been under a lot of pressure from some migrant activists to lift it and allow people in."
Sahil Kapur is NBC News' senior national political reporter, and he said in a tweet on Thursday that Lee's amendment could result in the bill being voted down by House Democrats.
Omnibus hits turbulence over a GOP Title 42 amendment that could pass the Senate and sink the legislation in the House. Votes are delayed, not happening tonight as expected hours ago. https://t.co/O9fFdKaogi
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 22, 2022
Punchbowl News senior congressional reporter Andrew Desiderio agreed with that assessment, citing an unnamed Senate aide who called the amendment "a poison pill.'
More from a Senate Dem aide: “Sen. Lee’s amendment is a poison pill which if adopted would kill the bill in the House.”
Translation: House Dems won’t accept an omnibus that extends Title 42 authority.
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) December 22, 2022
Meanwhile, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham put out a series of tweets blaming Democrats for the debacle.
"Republicans are willing to work with Democrats, but not at all costs," Graham said. "I support the omnibus bill – even though the process is broken and it is bigger than it should be – because it meets our national security needs."
"However, if the omnibus – which dramatically increases military spending and funds the government – fails because Democrats care more about letting Title 42 lapse than funding the federal government, so be it," he added.
