Staff Reports
Republican Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska made it crystal clear on Monday that she will not be supporting a border bill that leaves America’s security hanging in the balance while funding other nations’ security. Fischer, a veteran member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, declared that the bill currently on the table falls woefully short of the American people’s expectations for securing the border and keeping the nation safe. She minced no words in her written statement, emphasizing that she simply cannot get behind a bill that prioritizes other countries’ security while endangering America’s own border security.
The proposed Senate border bill aims to address the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border, but skeptics, including Fischer and many other Republicans, doubt its effectiveness in achieving that objective. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has lauded the bill for maintaining the Biden administration’s controversial parole pipeline, which has led to the release of hundreds of thousands of border crossers into American communities. Moreover, the bill seeks to expedite work permits for border crossers and illegal aliens discharged into the United States, a move that has irked many on the conservative side of the political spectrum.
Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska Announces Opposition to Lankford Immigration Plan https://t.co/x04b9cNGS3
— Sam Collins (@SamTexan1986) February 6, 2024
House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, voiced their staunch opposition to the bill. They harshly criticized the proposed legislation, highlighting numerous flaws and policy failures on the critical issue of border security. They specifically slammed the bill for expanding work authorizations for illegal aliens, lacking important asylum reforms, and effectively endorsing the Biden administration’s “catch and release” policy by allowing the release of illegal immigrants from physical custody.
The Republican leaders emphasized that the bill’s provisions would not effectively stop the President’s misuse of parole authority, and they condemned its allocation of taxpayer funds to accommodate illegal immigrants in hotels through the FEMA Shelter and Services Program. In contrast, they touted the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2) passed by the House nine months prior as a more viable solution to the border crisis. They urged the Senate to take up this alternative bill that they believe contains the necessary components to stem the flow of illegal immigration and put an end to the current crisis at the border.
In a unified stance, the Republican leaders declared the Senate bill as “dead on arrival” in the House and urged the U.S. Senate to reject it. With America’s sovereignty hanging in the balance, they dismissed any consideration of the Senate bill in its existing form as a waste of time and called for immediate action on the Secure the Border Act. The message was crystal clear – America’s security cannot be compromised, and the Senate must act swiftly to address the pressing issues at the border.
