Action Sports with Leigh Roche

Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu will oppose her leadership’s border aid package, complicating Senate Democrats’ plan to pass the legislation before August recess.

The Democratic senator said in an interview that she has two main problems with the bill: Lack of coordinating language for the multiple government agencies that will receive funding from the bill and “little faith” in the State Department’s ability to use its share of the money to combat the violent atmosphere back in home countries of undocumented migrants.

“Those are the two reasons that I am a no. And it’s unlikely those will be fixed,” said Landrieu, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security will receive $1.1 billion under the legislation.

(Also on POLITICO: Path to child migrant compromise?)

Her position marks a major blow to Democratic efforts to address an influx of undocumented immigrants seeking asylum from drug violence in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Senate Democratic leaders have proposed a $3.57 billion package — with $2.7 billion directed to the border — and will likely need every member of their party to support it to offset Republican opposition.

And other centrist senators — who Democrats would likely need on their side — are also balking at the bill, which does not include policy changes to a 2008 law which affords Central American migrants greater protections than other immigrants.

“We need some additional funding because the border patrol is going to run out of funds in a month’s time,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). “However, it’s very disappointing that they did not include any kind of reforms that will prevent this from continuing to happen. So that’s a real dilemma.”

(WATCH: Inhofe: Obama invited border kids)

Collins said she hasn’t decided how she will vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) agreed the bill needs those reforms and questioned how exactly Senate appropriators came up with $2.7 billion — a $1 billion haircut from the administration’s initial request.

“I’m not quite sure where these numbers came from,” Murkowski said.

Democratic Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Jon Tester of Montana sounded open to backing the legislation, which also includes more than $615 million to combat wildfires and $225 million in aid to Israel’s missile defense system. Their support would go a long way toward accruing the 60 votes necessary to pass the legislation in the Senate — the vast majority of which must come from the 55-member Senate Democratic caucus.

But Democrats won’t have everyone on board unless the bill undergoes significant changes.

“I don’t think it’s clear in the language [that there is] the accountability that I think is required and necessary [for] coordination between the five departments,” Landrieu said. “I don’t have confidence of giving [$300] million to the State Department to spend in the same old way they have Guatemala, Honduras, and expect any different results.”...