John Fetterman cosponsors GOP-led Laken Riley bill, one of the few Democrats backing it

By Free Republic | Created at 2025-01-09 04:45:52 | Updated at 2025-01-09 16:40:02 12 hours ago

John Fetterman cosponsors GOP-led Laken Riley bill, one of the few Democrats backing it
MSN via , The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 01/08/2025 | Julia Terruso, Jeff Gammage

Posted on 01/08/2025 8:34:17 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Sen. John Fetterman is the lone Senate Democrat cosponsoring a Republican-led bill that would require federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants arrested for theft-related crimes.

The bill, passed with bipartisan support in the House on Tuesday, is slated to come up for a Senate vote on Friday. In addition to requiring federal detention of undocumented immigrants who commit theft, it would allow states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration, greatly expanding the authority of state attorneys general.

Lawmakers named the legislation after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was murdered while jogging at the University of Georgia. Her convicted killer, Jose Ibarra, had entered the U.S. illegally and had previously been released after an arrest for stealing merchandise from a Walmart store. He was sentenced to life without parole in November.

“Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people,” Fetterman said in a joint news release sent by the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Katie Britt (R., Ala.). “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,” the Pennsylvania Democrat continued. “Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”

A ‘seismic shift’

Fetterman’s support, first reported by Punchbowl News, continues an openness he has displayed for working with Republicans and on Republican-led issues. The bill is backed by every Republican in the Senate. But Fetterman’s backing also reflects how Democrats are reexamining their stances on immigration, which played a key role in the presidential campaign in Pennsylvania and nationally.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...

TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fetterman; lakenriley

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That stroke that Fetterman suffered must have done something good to his brain.

The good news is, While Fetterman is the only listed Democratic cosponsor, Sens. Gary Peters (D., Mich.) and Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) indicated they would support the bill in interviews on the Hill on Tuesday.

1 posted on 01/08/2025 8:34:17 PM PST by SeekAndFind

To: SeekAndFind

When Fetterman first appeared on the scene I assumed that he was a typical dimocRAT douche nozzle. His initial media interactions didn’t change that impression but I’ve since, reluctantly, realized that perhaps I was wrong. That’s a positive twist.

To: SeekAndFind

Fetterman’s mind has been set right?

3 posted on 01/08/2025 8:43:24 PM PST by Paladin2

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