Escobar, whose district includes El Paso along the border, said she sees a chance this time will be different from the 2013 effort. She pointed to recent bipartisan successes in Congress, including on bipartisan gun control and infrastructure legislation.
“There is, I think, an opportunity with a House of Representatives and with a Senate where there is not an overwhelming majority on both sides,” Escobar said in an interview Monday. “In other words, there is an opportunity through the middle to come up with a solution.”
The legislation is also supported by Democratic Reps. Hillary Scholten of Michigan and Kathy Manning of North Carolina and Republican Reps. Mike Lawler of New York, Lori Chavez-Deremer of Oregon and Del. Jennifer González-Colón from Puerto Rico.
Still, the legislation will face challenges in a divided Congress, where Republicans are wary of provisions legalizing undocumented immigrants and Democrats are reluctant to accept more money for border security.
Earlier this month, House Republicans passed a sweeping border security bill without a single Democratic vote, dooming any chance the bill could move as drafted in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The White House also said President Joe Biden would veto the bill.
