Republicans are sharply criticizing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over a $118 billion border security bill led by Democrats, which was unveiled on Sunday.
Apart from granting the Department of Homeland Security the authority to temporarily shut down the border to the majority of migrants when there are more than an average of 5,000 attempted crossings over a seven-day period, the plan aims to overhaul the asylum system with expedited and stricter enforcement measures.
In addition to providing humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the package also allocates substantial funding to support Israel, Ukraine, and various other allies, even as the U.S. is running a nearly $35 trillion deficit.
McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, pushed last year for changes to border policy to be part of the national security funding bill to get past House Republicans’ resistance. He stated that the Senate needs to “get ready to act” and that the proposed legislation offers “direct and immediate solutions to the crisis” at the border.
“America’s sovereignty is being tested here at home, and our credibility is being tested by emboldened adversaries around the world,” he said in a statement. “The challenges we face will not resolve themselves, nor will our adversaries wait for America to muster the resolve to meet them.”
Nonetheless, a number of prominent Republicans promptly voiced their opposition to the legislation, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing it as “dead on arrival.”
“I’ve seen enough,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created… If this bill reaches the House, it will be dead on arrival.”
I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, “the border never closes.”
If this bill reaches the House, it will be…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 5, 2024
Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House.
Here’s what the people pushing this “deal” aren’t telling you: It accepts 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and gives automatic work permits to asylum recipients—a magnet for more illegal immigration.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 5, 2024
Any Republican voting for this Senate America last open border amnesty bill must be paid off by foreign interests and is acting as a foreign agent.
What an embarrassment!
Shame on them!! https://t.co/pNo3cXSCWO
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 5, 2024
The differences in Trump’s handling of the border compared to Biden’s is supremely measurable.
Data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reveals that in December 2020, which marked the last month of President Donald Trump’s administration, the USBP permitted 17 foreign nationals to enter the United States.
By contract, in December 2023, the latest month for which statistics are accessible during President Biden’s term, the USBP released 191,142 individuals into the United States.
