Staff Reports
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) has put the kibosh on the idea of the Senate bringing the Laken Riley Act to a vote. This act, named after a Georgia student who was supposedly killed by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was given the green light by the House last week in a 251 to 170 vote. The act’s main goal is to make immigration officials detain immigrants who have been accused of violent crimes. However, Johnson doesn’t seem to think it’s worth advancing any further.
Ron Johnson speculates Laken Riley bill ‘won’t be brought up’ in Senate https://t.co/bc0G3fMXVH
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 11, 2024
In true form, Johnson didn’t hold back, making it crystal clear that the Senate won’t even consider the Laken Riley Act. He also took the opportunity to slam the Biden administration’s immigration policy, especially their handling of the situation surrounding Laken Riley’s tragic death. Johnson criticized Biden for expressing regret over referring to the undocumented immigrant who allegedly murdered Riley as “illegal,” and even hinted that the current administration’s open border policy was directly contributing to the influx of criminal activity.
The Laken Riley Act is basically the Republican Party’s way of hitting back at the escalating border crisis and was flaunted by House Republicans as a solution to prevent similar tragic incidents in the future. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pointed fingers at the Biden administration, suggesting that if they had done their job, Laken Riley would still be alive. Johnson and his Republican colleagues aren’t about to stand by silently while the President and his cronies release dangerous criminals into communities. In a bold statement, Johnson proclaimed that if Senator Schumer and President Biden are serious about securing the border and protecting Americans, they’d better bring this legislation up for a vote and sign it into law pronto.
So, it seems like the Laken Riley Act is hitting a roadblock in the Senate, and Republican lawmakers are fired up to hold the Biden administration accountable for their actions. Stay tuned to see how this all pans out!
