Laken Riley’s bill overcame a filibuster in the Senate as Democrats gave aid to the GOP
The Laken Riley Act defeated a legislative filibuster during a procedural vote Thursday, garnering more than 60 votes to advance it to a final vote.
The bill was quickly reintroduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House after the new Congress began.
“Today’s vote on the Laken Riley Act is an important step forward in making our country safer, but there is more work to do to get this common-sense legislation across the board,” Britt said in a statement.
“Laken’s horrific murder should never have happened. While we cannot bring Laken back, Congress can and must pass the Laken Riley Act to save American lives and prevent this tragedy from happening again. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to Americans in every corner of our country in order for this law to be adopted and signed into law.”
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The bill is named after a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, he was found guilty of a total of 10 counts, including aggravated murder. He initially pleaded not guilty, but was eventually sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November.
Britt and Collins’ account would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest and detain illegal immigrants who commit theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. States would also be empowered under the bill to take civil actions against members of the federal government who fail to enforce immigration laws.
The measure was blessed by new Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., who raised it as the first major vote in the upper chamber.
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With all the Senate Republicans on board, it was unclear at first whether they would be able to get enough Democrats to advance the bill and clear the 60-vote threshold set by the filibuster. But Democratic support began to grow after Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., first said he would vote for it. He and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., decided to co-sponsor the bill.
Fox News confirmed Thursday morning that at least 13 Democrats said they would vote to advance the bill.
Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Gallego, Gary Peters, D-Mich., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Angus King, I-Maine, Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H. , Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. and Fetterman, each said they would vote for the procedural bar.
In the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed he would also vote to advance the bill. He explained that he would vote on the shutdown motion to have a chance for debate and for Democrats to offer amendments. The Democratic leader went on to say he believed there were enough votes for the measure to defeat a filibuster.
In addition, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he would likely support moving the bill forward.
This is no guarantee that all Democrats will vote on the final passage of the bill. However, only a simple majority was required for the final vote, while 60 votes were required for the final vote.
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Successfully defeating the filibuster effectively ensures that the GOP’s priority immigration bill will be sent to President-elect Trump’s desk and eventually become law.
Several Democrats who helped advance the measure are up for re-election in potentially competitive states in 2026. They include Ossoff, Shaheen, Peters and Hickenlooper.