Sen. Joe Manchin tells GOP colleagues: ‘When you get a chance to secure the border, take it’

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on Monday had some words for his Republican colleagues who may be on the fence about voting on another border bill later this week.

Asked whether he would vote on a second attempt at passing a border bill, Schumer said he would always vote to secure the border “better than what it is today.” 

“I would encourage my Republicans friends to – no matter what games you think that might be being played – when you get a chance to secure the border, take it. Take it because we need it that bad,” Schumer said. 

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Sen. Joe Manchin pushed Republicans to vote on another bill to secure the border. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

His comments come a day after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told his colleagues that the Senate will once again vote on a bipartisan border security bill this week. An effort in February collapsed after Republicans withdrew their support at the behest of former President Donald Trump. 

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Johnson had to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The bill failed a test vote in February, by a vote of 49-50, short of the 60 votes needed to proceed. 

Schumer blamed Republicans for acquiescing to the GOP frontrunner in the presidential race. Republicans, meanwhile, objected to tying the bill to U.S. foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel. Schumer said the bill to be voted on this week would stand alone.  

Republicans in both chambers of Congress have signaled they will band together to block any hope of a Democrat-backed border bill getting to the finish line. 

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Record numbers of migrants have been caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border since President Biden took office in 2021, and border security has become one of the leading issues in the presidential campaign.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Reuters contributed to this report.