McConnell vows to force Democrats on border vote next week

June 17 (UPI) -- Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Monday he will force Democrats to vote on President Donald Trump's $4.5 million request for emergency funding at the border to show where lawmakers stand on the issue.

The funding would pay for humanitarian aid to increase shelters and care for unaccompanied minors, expand the number of detention beds and provide more investigative resources. Republicans have the numbers to get the motion passed in the Senate appropriations committee but will need seven Democrats to support it to get it passed in the full Senate.

"I'm going to bring it up freestanding next week and see if they really aren't interested in dealing with this massive humanity that we have to take care of at the border," McConnell told Fox News Monday. "What's the objection? This is not about the wall but about the humanitarian crisis."

In the lower chamber, House Democrats support additional humanitarian aid but don't want to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement money for more beds.

McConnell wants to force the vote to show Democrats are suffering what he calls "Trump derangement syndrome."

"Whatever he's for they are reflectively against," McConnell said. "I think it's safe to say the president is getting more cooperation out of Mexico than he is out of congressional Democrats."

Last week, Trump said his administration struck a new deal with Mexico, in which it will deploy 6,000 Mexican troops to its southern border with Guatemala in an effort to cut the flow of migrants to the United States. The deal averted new tariffs against Mexico that would've taken effect last week.