House Democrats in close races try to show they hear voter concerns about immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — In some of the closest House races in the country, Democratic candidates are leaning into an issue that Republicans have made a centerpiece of their efforts to expand their majority — immigration.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, says that anyone who crosses the border must do so legally. “I voted to hire more than 10,000 new border guards, penalize businesses that hire people here illegally and lock up anyone bringing fentanyl into our country," she says.

Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., relies on a local sheriff to make the case: "Yadira Caraveo knows how broken immigration is — just like we do. It's why she worked with Republicans to fund over 20,000 Border Patrol agents and crack down on cartels."

And Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., tells viewers he’s been to the border three times to see for himself what’s needed and that's why he was working with both parties to hire new Border Patrol agents and beef up screening for fentanyl. “It's one thing to talk a big game. It's another to act, to do something,” he says.

The three lawmakers' ads show how Democrats in the most competitive races are countering the intense focus that Republicans have placed on immigration in their districts, following the lead of the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. How Democrats fare on the issue could play an important role in determining which party controls the House next year. Democrats only need to flip four seats to regain the majority.

Every House Democrat last year voted against the House GOP's sweeping crackdown on immigration that included more border wall and new restrictions on asylum seekers The vote opened House Democrats to fresh criticism on an issue that about half of voters consider one of the most important going into the November election.

The Democratic ads clearly look to demonstrate support for narrower border security legislation to show they hear the voters' concerns. Polling shows more adults wanting to see a decrease in immigration into the U.S., with a Gallup poll this summer showing Republicans, Democrats and independents all significantly more likely than a year ago to favor less immigration.

Republicans are dismissive of the Democratic candidates' efforts and the impact they will have on the election.

"Kamala Harris’ policies have opened our borders and created all kinds of problems with crime, fentanyl, in every community in America. Democrats in Congress were right there every step of the way,” said Richard Hudson, the chair of the House Republican campaign arm. “And they are now trying to confuse the American people about their record. I just think the American people are smarter than that and are not going to fall for it.”

Rep. Suzan DelBene, the chair of the House Democrats campaign arm, said the immigration ads fit with a theme that Democrats have emphasized on other issues: It takes bipartisanship to deal with the major issues facing the country.

“People have seen the dysfunction of Republicans in Congress over and over again,” DelBene said. “And they see how they play politics with issues that are important to our communities, so we're going to hold them accountable for that and talk about how we're running to govern and get things done for the American people.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., won a special election in February, in part, by addressing border security in his campaign ads, DelBene said. She said he set a template for other Democratic ads that emphasize working across party lines in solving problems.

“Governing is sitting at the table negotiating bipartisan solutions. That's what was happening until Donald Trump said ‘no’ because he wanted to continue to have this be a political issue he could talk about,” DelBene said.

DelBene's reference to Trump stems from his harsh criticism of an immigration bill that came before the Senate in February. Trump called the bill, which was negotiated over months of talks, a great gift for Democrats and a death wish for his party. The bill also included aid for Ukraine and Israel. Republicans blocked it on a key test vote, in part because Trump demanded that they oppose it.

It's not just incumbents placing immigration-related ads. Democratic challengers are as well. They're blaming Republican incumbents for assisting in the effort to kill the bipartisan border bill that died in the Senate at Trump's urging.

In an Arizona swing district that stretches to the U.S.-Mexico border, Democrat Kirsten Engel features a former law enforcement officer talking about the lives he's seen wrecked by the fentanyl that comes across the border. The former officer says Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani “helped kill” the Senate immigration bill, which would have led to the hiring of more Border Patrol agents.

“Engel will set aside politics to secure the border and stop the flow of drugs,” the former officer said of the Democratic challenger.

Ciscomani, a freshman House Republican, had been critical of aspects of the Senate bill. But that measure never came up for a vote in the House. Nevertheless, he said he was open to improving the bill if given the chance.

“The attack is, ‘oh, he, you know, he just decided to kill the bill, or it’s dead on arrival.' First of all, I don't have that authority. I don't have that power as a single member of the House," Ciscomani said. “But had that made it over to the House, you betcha, I would have been right there at the table working on this to improve it.”

In Pennsylvania, Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson goes after both parties in her campaign ad. She's running against Republican incumbent Scott Perry. She says too many Democrats deny there's a crisis at the southern border, but what Perry did was worse.

“He opposed a law Border Patrol agents said would help. He wants a campaign issue instead of solving the problem,” Stelson says. “Putting politics ahead of our safety is gross.”

When asked for a response to the ad, Perry's campaign sent an emailed statement from the congressman where he said the Senate bill “does the exact opposite” of securing the border.

“Voters understand the false bill of goods Stelson is selling and they will reject her desperate attempt to cover up her party’s reckless immigration policies that are endangering people all across south central Pennsylvania,” Perry said.

FILE - Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, speaks during a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that averts a government shutdown heading into Christmas, bringing a final close to days of upheaval in Washington after Congress passed a bipartisan budget plan just past the deadline and rejected Donald Trump's core demand in the negotiations.

The deal funds the government at current levels through March 14 and provides $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in agricultural assistance to farmers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had insisted lawmakers would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to close. But the outcome at the end of a tumultuous week was uncertain after Trump had insisted the deal include an increase in the government's borrowing limit. If not, he had said, then let the closures “start now.”

Johnson's revised plan was approved 366-34, and it was passed by the Senate by a 85-11 vote after midnight. By then, the White House said it had ceased shutdown preparations.

“There will be no government shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Johnson, who had spoken to Trump after the House vote, said the compromise was "a good outcome for the country” and that the president-elect “was certainly happy about this outcome, as well.”

The final product was the third attempt from Johnson, the beleaguered speaker, to achieve one of the basic requirements of the federal government — keeping it open. The difficulties raised questions about whether Johnson will be able to keep his job, in the face of angry Republican colleagues, and work alongside Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, who was calling the legislative plays from afar.

The House is scheduled to elect the next speaker on Jan. 3, 2025, when the new Congress convenes. Republicans will have an exceedingly narrow majority, 220-215, leaving Johnson little margin for error as he tries to win the speaker's gavel.

One House Republican, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, criticized Republicans for the deficit spending in the bill and said he was now “undecided” about the GOP leadership. Others are signaling unhappiness with Johnson as well.

Yet Trump's last-minute debt limit demand was almost an impossible ask, and Johnson had almost no choice but to work around that pressure. The speaker knew there wouldn’t be enough support within the slim Republican majority alone to pass any funding package because many Republican deficit hawks prefer to cut the federal government and would not allow more debt.

Instead, the Republicans, who will have full control of the White House, House and Senate in the new year, with big plans for tax cuts and other priorities, are showing they must routinely rely on Democrats for the votes needed to keep up with the routine operations of governing.

The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the coronavirus pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will exceed spending on national security. The last time lawmakers raised the debt limit was June 2023. Rather than raise the limit by a dollar amount, lawmakers suspended the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025.

There is no need to raise that limit right now because the Treasury Department can begin using what it calls “extraordinary measures” to ensure that America does not default on its debts. Some estimate these accounting maneuvers could push the default deadline to the summer of 2025. But that’s what Trump wanted to avoid because an increase would be needed while he was president.

GOP leaders said the debt ceiling would be debated as part of tax and border packages in the new year. Republicans made a so-called handshake agreement to raise the debt limit at that time while also cutting $2.5 trillion in spending over 10 years.

It was essentially the same deal that flopped Thursday night — minus Trump’s debt demand. But it's far smaller than the original deal Johnson struck with Democratic and Republican leaders — a 1,500-page bill that Trump and Musk rejected, forcing him to start over. It was stuffed with a long list of other bills — including much-derided pay raises for lawmakers — but also other measures with broad bipartisan support that now have a tougher path to becoming law.

Trump, who has not yet been sworn into office, is showing the power but also the limits of his sway with Congress, as he intervenes and orchestrates affairs from Mar-a-Lago alongside Musk, who is heading up the new Department of Government Efficiency.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Mary Clare Jalonick, Darlene Superville and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., talks with reporters after attending a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., as the House works on a spending bill to avert a shutdown of the Federal Government, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

The Capitol is pictured in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters after passing the funding bill to avert the government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters after passing the funding bill to avert the government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrates as the Senate begins voting on the government funding bill just in time to meet the midnight deadline, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)