The bipartisan agreement on strengthening the U.S.-Mexico border has just been finalized, but it’s already facing stiff resistance from many in the Republican camp.
Fiery Critique on Border Deal
As the Senate prepares for a procedural vote this week, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) didn’t hold back on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This is worse than bad negotiation. It’s betrayal. The Senate GOP can still stop it if 41 will stand together,” he wrote.
Urgent Call for New GOP Heads
“I cannot understand how any Republican would think this was a good idea—or anything other than an unmitigated disaster. WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP — NOW,” the conservative senator wrote in a separate post.
‘Utter Disaster’
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) echoed these sentiments, slamming the proposal as ‘an utter disaster’ and expressing his expressing his shock on the same platform.
“This…is…INSANE,” he expressed on X.
Internal GOP Strife
Not only the general body of Republican senators but also key figures like Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) of McConnell’s leadership team, expressed dissent against the border deal, even though it was negotiated by a conservative colleague, Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), and praised by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Firmly Against Border Deal
Declaring his stance on X, Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, commented, “I can’t support a bill that doesn’t secure the border, provides taxpayer funded lawyers to illegal immigrants and gives billions to radical open borders groups.”
‘Even Worse’ Than Expected
In the House, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) pledged to block the bill’s voting, while House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) criticized it as ‘even worse than we expected,’ claiming it doesn’t address the border crisis he attributes to the President.
GOP Claims ‘Amnesty’ in Bill
Meanwhile, other GOP members inaccurately claimed the bill offers ‘amnesty’ to millions of undocumented immigrants, a term fraught with negative connotations among conservatives.
Not All Bad for Republicans?
The bill has several elements that align with conservative objectives, such as easier migrant expulsion at the border, tighter parole claim restrictions, and making asylum claims more challenging.
It even includes a mechanism to automatically close the border if illegal crossings exceed a specified daily average, though it allows for humanitarian exceptions.
A GOP Vision
Senator Lankford described the bill as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to close our open border and give future administrations the effective tools they need to stop the border chaos and protect our nation.”
He also addressed concerns from his party, refuting the notion that it would lead to unrestricted migrant crossings.
The Start of the Controversy
The controversy started when Senators, after extensive and private talks, unveiled a substantial $118.2 billion bipartisan aid package on Sunday, targeting Ukraine, Israel, and the U.S. southern border.
Border Gets a Major Boost
The much-anticipated bill designates $60.1 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, and $20.2 billion to ramp up security at the U.S. border. It also sets aside additional funds for humanitarian aid in conflict zones and defense efforts in the Red Sea and Taiwan.
Biden’s Proposal vs. Senate’s Plan
Originally, President Joe Biden had suggested a slightly lower aid package of over $105 billion in October. The Senate’s new plan stays mostly in line with Biden’s proposed allocations for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The standout change? An extra $13 billion dedicated to border security, a hot-button issue that fueled months of Senate debate.
Trump’s Shadow Over Border Strategy
On the other hand, GOP members, influenced by ex-President and current 2024 GOP front-runner Donald Trump and his circle, are opposing the bill. Some Republicans have candidly expressed their unwillingness to concede a political victory to President Biden, aiming to maintain the border issue as a focal point in the November general election.
Republican Inconsistency
Republicans, once advocates for stringent border measures tied to U.S.-Ukraine aid, are now withdrawing support under Trump’s influence. Senator Sinema highlights this GOP shift on border issues.
“For five months, my Republican colleagues had demanded, and I think rightfully so, that we address this border crisis as part of a national security package. I agree,” she said in a Sunday interview with CBS, adding that GOP members now “get to make a choice. Do you want to secure the border?”
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