Nancy Pelosi agrees to a vote on Senate border bill in blow to House progressives


In a bitter blow to the progressive factions of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) agreed on Thursday to allow a vote on the Senate's President Trump-approved $4.5 billion border funding bill with no restrictions. The New York Times characterized the development as "a striking display of disarray and an unusual setback for Ms. Pelosi."
On Wednesday, the Senate had voted 84-8 to approve the emergency funding legislation for the U.S.-Mexico border, with $2.88 billion set aside for the Office of Refugee Resettlement and other funding funneled to the Defense Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The House's version of the bill did not include the funding for the DoD or ICE, and progressives had sought specific amendments that would have increased protections for migrant children.
Vice President Mike Pence reportedly privately assured Pelosi that the Trump administration "would voluntarily abide by some of the [provisions] she had sought, including notifying lawmakers within 24 hours after the death of a migrant child in government custody, and placing a 90-day time limit on children spending time in temporary intake facilities," a person familiar with the negotiations told the Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Around two dozen moderate Democrats had joined with Republicans and driven Pelosi to fold. Nevertheless, the White House heavily criticized Democrats for the delay in approving the funding, Bloomberg reports, with the administration saying in a statement that it had "sent its request for emergency funding eight weeks ago, but there was no action."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Why is Trump suddenly interested in his enemies' mortgages?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the president continues targeting adversaries, he's turned to a surprising ally to provide ammunition for an emerging line of attack
-
'A symbol of the faceless corporate desire'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Say farewell to summer at these underrated US lakes
The Week Recommends Have one last blast
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore