Senate Dems join forces with GOP to advance Laken Riley Act to the White House
The Senate passed the Laken Riley Act with bipartisan support on Monday. The bill passed in a 64-35 vote, with 12 Democrats voting to advance the bill. The Laken Riley Act was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was senselessly murdered by an illegal migrant in February 2024 while she was jogging at the University of Georgia. The bill requires the detention of illegal aliens charged with theft or burglary-related crimes.'We must give law enforcement the means to take action to prevent tragedies like what occurred to Laken Riley.'Following Riley's tragic murder, Republicans embraced her story as one of the many innocent lives taken by illegal aliens. While Riley's story became a hallmark for Republicans' messaging on immigration, Democrats have also warmed up to the cause. Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Ruben Gallego of Arizona both committed to supporting the bill ahead of the vote."Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people," Fetterman said. "No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.""Not only am I voting yes on the Laken Riley Act, I’m cosponsoring the bill," Gallego said in a post on X earlier this month. "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."Ultimately, 12 Senate Democrats joined all 53 Republicans to pass the legislation. Similarly, 48 Democrats voted with 216 Republicans to pass the bill in the House. The legislation was notably passed in the House during the 118th Congress, with just 37 Democrats joining 214 Republicans to pass the bill. Although most still opposed the bill, the Laken Riley Act gained momentum with an additional 11 Democrats voting for the legislation in the 119th Congress. Similarly, under Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's purview, the bill was never brought up for a vote on the Senate floor. This time around, not only did the Senate take up the Laken Riley Act, but a dozen Democrats bucked their party and voted to pass the bill. The bottom line is that immigration is a losing issue for Democrats. During the 2024 presidential election, immigration was repeatedly surveyed as a top priority for Americans, with voters largely trusting President Donald Trump to handle the issue over former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump went on to sweep all seven swing states and secure the popular vote.This was a wake-up call for Democrats. Not only was their policy platform unpopular, but it was losing them elections. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
The Senate passed the Laken Riley Act with bipartisan support on Monday.
The bill passed in a 64-35 vote, with 12 Democrats voting to advance the bill.
The Laken Riley Act was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was senselessly murdered by an illegal migrant in February 2024 while she was jogging at the University of Georgia. The bill requires the detention of illegal aliens charged with theft or burglary-related crimes.
'We must give law enforcement the means to take action to prevent tragedies like what occurred to Laken Riley.'
Following Riley's tragic murder, Republicans embraced her story as one of the many innocent lives taken by illegal aliens. While Riley's story became a hallmark for Republicans' messaging on immigration, Democrats have also warmed up to the cause.
Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Ruben Gallego of Arizona both committed to supporting the bill ahead of the vote.
"Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people," Fetterman said. "No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system."
"Not only am I voting yes on the Laken Riley Act, I’m cosponsoring the bill," Gallego said in a post on X earlier this month. "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."
Ultimately, 12 Senate Democrats joined all 53 Republicans to pass the legislation. Similarly, 48 Democrats voted with 216 Republicans to pass the bill in the House.
The legislation was notably passed in the House during the 118th Congress, with just 37 Democrats joining 214 Republicans to pass the bill. Although most still opposed the bill, the Laken Riley Act gained momentum with an additional 11 Democrats voting for the legislation in the 119th Congress.
Similarly, under Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's purview, the bill was never brought up for a vote on the Senate floor. This time around, not only did the Senate take up the Laken Riley Act, but a dozen Democrats bucked their party and voted to pass the bill.
The bottom line is that immigration is a losing issue for Democrats. During the 2024 presidential election, immigration was repeatedly surveyed as a top priority for Americans, with voters largely trusting President Donald Trump to handle the issue over former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump went on to sweep all seven swing states and secure the popular vote.
This was a wake-up call for Democrats. Not only was their policy platform unpopular, but it was losing them elections.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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