WASHINGTON, DC- “...weak-kneed Senate Republicans got rolled by Democrats.” Those are the words of freshman Arizona Rep. Eli Crane, a member of the Republican Freedom Caucus. Crane, a friend of Law Enforcement Today, pulled no punches in reacting to the “bipartisan” border deal negotiated by one Democrat, Republican, and Independent.
“Instead of fighting for a serious bill that combats the invasion we face, weak-kneed Senate Republicans got rolled by Democrats, letting their obsession with Ukraine get in the way of their duty to America,” Crane told Fox News Digital. “This pathetic excuse for [a] border security deal gives Ukraine three times as much as it allocates to the U.S. border.”
The bill was negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Miss.) has said the bill is “dead on arrival” when it is sent to the House, while House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said it would not get a House vote.
Sen. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) also slammed the bill, telling Fox News Digital, ”At first glance, this ‘deal’ is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This is a Ukraine border deal, not a U.S. border deal.”
Conservative pundits have referred to the bill as a “crap sandwich.” Before the over-300-page bill was even released, portions of it leaked out, including a provision some Republican lawmakers said would allow 5,000 illegal aliens per day into the country before a safety net goes into place blocking additional illegals. That authority would allegedly sunset in three years.
“The acceptable number of illegal aliens allows [sic] into the U.S. should be zero. The proposal is an absolute slap in the face to Americans, and no Republican (or Democrat, for that matter) should support it,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) told Fox News Digital.
Lankford called claims the bill would allow 5,000 people “into the country” each day “absurd and untrue,” but according to some members of Congress, that is precisely what it would do.
The bill will need 60 votes to beat an expected Republican filibuster. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) predicted voting could begin as soon as this Wednesday. Meanwhile, some Republicans urged Schumer to hold off so they could offer amendments.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) slammed the bill in a post to X, accusing the Senate Republican leadership of “a disqualifying betrayal.”
“Senate GOP leadership screwed this up–and screwed us. Even while refusing to let us see the bill they claimed to be negotiating on our behalf–for MONTHS–they were never in doubt, insisting we’d be dumb and even unpatriotic NOT to support it. This is a disqualifying betrayal,” Lee wrote.
“Biden can say anything is in the ‘national interest’ and thereby suspend the ‘border emergency authority,'” Lee continued. “Don’t pretend to be surprised when he does. Or better yet–don’t pass this hot mess!”
The bill claims the secretary of Homeland Security would be involved in the verification process of illegals crossing the border and must ensure the illegals' identity is checked against available records and databases. If they attain asylum, they will immediately be given a work visa.
None of that set well with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).
“I’ve reviewed the bill, I don’t think it will solve our border crisis and might make it worse. I will oppose it,” he posted on X. “The bill gives Secretary Mayorkas the right–for the first time–to grant asylum claims (and thus American citizenship) to illegal aliens at the border without review by the immigration courts, which will be a massive pathway to rubber-stamping amnesty.”
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) characterized the bill as “another Ukraine aid package that weakly addresses Biden’s border crisis” and vowed to vote no.
Despite Lankford’s comments that the bill would, in effect, “close” the border, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) retweeted a post by Murphy of Connecticut:
“THE BORDER NEVER CLOSES. The words of bill author @ChrisMurphyCT.”
In his tweet, Murphy said, “The border never closes, but claims must be processed at the ports [of entry].”
Murphy also admitted the bill would provide taxpayer-funded lawyers for all illegal aliens, as well as for unaccompanied minors.
According to Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), the bill would provide $1.4 billion for NGOs to move illegals about the country, purchasing airline tickets and hotel rooms.
“This is more of our tax dollars being used to buy off Democrat sanctuary city mayors. This is the ‘border security’ Democrats really want,” Hagerty said.
That $1.4 billion would be transferred to FEMA to support shelters for illegal aliens provided through the Shelter and Services program.
Conversely, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is hoping the bill will get passed, claiming it will provide “direct and immediate solutions” to the invasion at the southern border.
The bill sponsors hope they can snow other Republicans to support the bill by throwing $20 billion in there for border enforcement, which would include hiring thousands of new officers to evaluate asylum claims, and a few hundred Border Patrol agents. Some of those funds would also go to cities across the US whose budgets have been decimated by having to support illegal aliens in their communities.
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