OPINION:
Substantial legislation hasn’t been able to get through Congress without being attached to inordinately sized “must pass” bills for the past several years. That changes on Friday.
Under its new leadership, the Senate is poised to pass a bill ordering the feds to detain illegal aliens arrested on burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting charges. Enough Democrats have endorsed the measure that there’s a realistic possibility it could land on Donald Trump’s desk on Inauguration Day.
“Not only am I voting yes on the Laken Riley Act, I’m cosponsoring the bill,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, Arizona Democrat, wrote on X. “Arizonans know better than most the real consequences of today’s border crisis. We must give law enforcement the means to take action to prevent tragedies like what occurred to Laken Riley.”
On Tuesday, the House advanced the bill with the support of 48 Democrats, but the Senate outcome is less certain. While Republicans hold 53 seats in the upper chamber, 60 votes are needed to avoid a filibuster.
Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat, did the math for Fox News: “If you’re here illegally, and you’re committing crimes, I don’t know why anyone thinks it’s controversial that they all need to go. There’s 47 of us in the Senate. If we can’t come up with seven votes … then that’s the reason why we lost,” he explained, referring to November’s election result.
At least three more Senate Democrats — Gary Peters of Michigan, Mark Kelly of Arizona and Jon Ossoff of Georgia — are expected to join Republicans. This wouldn’t have been possible while Charles E. Schumer held sway over the Senate, as the New York Democrat allowed only open-border measures to come to a vote.
Mr. Trump is eager to have his domestic agenda teed up as soon as he takes the oath of office on Jan. 20. “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,” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social.
Mr. Trump suggested “one powerful bill” could use the reconciliation process to bypass the need for 60 Senate votes. Success on the Laken Riley Act would demonstrate some provisions can advance on their own, but the House GOP majority is so precarious that doing so could be risky.
“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,” Mr. Trump urged.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is on board to do just that, but he faces the impossible task of herding lawmakers who can’t agree on key elements. For instance, fiscal conservatives hate the idea of renewing the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT, currently capped at a maximum of $10,000 per household.
SALT makes it easier for high-tax states including California, New Jersey and New York to continue raiding residents’ wallets. But the unfortunate political reality is that the small but essential band of Republican representatives in these blue areas must come up with a win for their constituents. So they’ve proposed raising the cap to $20,000 for married couples.
It’s an objectively bad idea, but with a two-vote majority, compromise will be necessary to advance the agenda the voters just endorsed. Doing so kicks off the critical task of undoing the damage done over the past four years.
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