Pelosi reverses on border bill, plans vote on Senate version after GOP pressure

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi abruptly backed down Thursday from her push to include restrictions on immigration enforcement in a must-pass border funding bill, moving instead to bring a bipartisan Senate version for a vote following intense pressure from Republicans and moderates in her own party.

At stake is a critical $4.5 billion bill to combat the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, which lawmakers want to pass before Congress leaves for the July 4 recess. The Senate already approved its bill 84-8 on Wednesday, after rejecting an earlier House version.

But until Thursday afternoon, the left-wing faction of the Democratic caucus was still driving an effort to insert restrictions on enforcement back into the Senate bill before they would consider it. With the clock ticking, Pelosi reversed course.