Image Credit: Speaker Mike Johnson / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act on Tuesday with a vote of 264 in favor to 159 against. Unsurprisingly, every single “NO” vote came from a Democrat.
But the bill was not passed completely along party lines as 48 Democrats voted for the Act, and other Democrats have since expressed frustration with the 159 naysayers for their willingness to seemingly place the protection of illegal aliens over the safety and wellbeing of American citizens.
The Laken Riley Act, named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant after fighting for her life for over 15 minutes, will require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal immigrants who are charged, arrested, or convicted on theft-related offenses. It would also allow states to sue the federal government for certain failures related to immigration enforcement.
All of Tennessee’s Representatives except for Democrat Steve Cohen voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Tim Burchett posted a video questioning why 159 House members would vote, “in favor of rapists and murders.”
He said, “It’s common-sense stuff but a large majority of Democrats are going to vote against the dadgum thing I hope people realize what they’re doing, I hope they start voting for people with the quality and the character of people’s hearts because this is just beyond belief.”
The 48 Democrats who were able to put party politics aside fulfilled their oaths of office by voting to uphold the Constitution and security of Americans, and several Democrats believe the unwillingness of their colleagues to yield on this issue may account for part of the sound defeat Democrats earned during the 2024 election cycle.
As the bill now heads to the upper chamber for consideration by the Senate, several Democrat members have publicly stated their intentions to support the Act and encourage its passage.
Former Representative and now freshman Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona has backed the measure ahead of the Senate vote, agreeing to be a co-sponsor, and shared his comments on X.
“Not only am I voting yes on the Laken Riley Act, I’m cosponsoring the bill. 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,” he posted.
Gallego is also one of the few House Democrats who voted in favor of last year’s version of the measure.
Democrat Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has also agreed to co-sponsor the bill and admonished fellow Democrats who would not vote in its favor. In an interview with Fox News he said, “If you’re here illegally and you’re committing crimes, I don’t know why anybody thinks that it’s controversial that they all need to go. If we can’t get at least 7 out of 47 [Democrat votes] then that’s why we lost, in part.”
A spokesperson for Democrat Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan stated he would be voting for the measure while the state’s other newly-elected senator, Elissa Slotkin (Dem.) also announced her support, “Michiganders have spoken loudly and clearly that they want action to secure our southern border. We must get past petty partisanship that continues to dominate the immigration debate.”
Debate on the Act is reportedly set to begin on Friday and the bill supposedly has the backing of all Senate Republicans. If there is enough Democrat support to draw eight Senate “YES” votes, the Act will become filibuster-proof and will almost certainly become law.
With the known support of at least six Senate Democrats, the odds are rapidly improving for a favorable outcome.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
