After Millions Of Illegal Crossings, Senate Republicans Finally Discover America Has A Border Crisis
It only took millions of illegal immigrants violating American sovereignty during Joe Biden’s presidency, but Senate Republicans are finally concerned about the ongoing invasion at the U.S.-Mexico border — or are they?
In recent weeks, Senate GOPers have been unusually vocal about the unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, a crisis created by Biden administration policies that’s wreaking havoc on communities across the country. On Wednesday, for instance, Senate Republicans blocked a $110.5 billion foreign-aid package proposed by Biden that sought to give tens of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, arguing that the measure must include “strict new changes related to asylum” and other border policies before it receives GOP support.
The bill also would have earmarked funds for Israel and “other global hot spots.”
“As we’ve said for weeks, legislation that doesn’t include policy changes to secure our borders will not pass the Senate,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a major proponent of shipping U.S. aid to Ukraine, said.
But Republicans’ push for increased U.S. border security isn’t as heroic as they’re making it out to be. McConnell and Co. aren’t saying they’ll no longer advance more aid to Ukraine altogether. They’re just stating they won’t consider doing so unless funding for U.S. border security comes with it.
In other words, the Republican message to Democrats is: “Give us enough border funding to placate our base, and we’ll keep helping you bankroll Ukraine’s forever war.”
[READ: Poll: At 48 Percent, Growing Plurality Of Americans Say U.S. Spends ‘Too Much’ On Ukraine Proxy War]
Republicans’ argument — like that on so many other issues — comes from a point of weakness. If the border crisis is as dire as they’re claiming — it is — then protecting the American homeland should be the only priority that matters. Instead, the GOP establishment sees an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
On one hand, tying border security to Ukraine aid allows neocons such as McConnell to continue to fund their proxy war in Eastern Europe and financially boost their buddies working in America’s military-industrial complex. On the other, it gives Senate Republicans something to campaign on ahead of next year’s elections other than selling out their voters on a myriad of issues.
Biden’s border crisis has been raging for nearly three years, but McConnell and Co. decide now — months before the earliest GOP Senate primaries — to begin raising Cain and using their institutional power to force Democrats to negotiate on the issue. Better late than never, right?
If Senate Republicans ultimately manage to force Democrats to offer some changes to the U.S. border policy, conservatives should make sure that the “negotiated” outcome is strictly relegated to securing the border. In the past, “immigration reform” produced between the two parties has often involved amnesty for illegal aliens, a proposal that would undoubtedly attract more illegals to America’s southern border. Ahead of last year’s lame duck session, for example, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat-turned-independent from Arizona, reportedly pressed Senate leadership to bring their “immigration reform” bill that — among other things, would have provided a “pathway to citizenship” to two million illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors — to the floor for a vote.
While the bill ultimately never passed, its conception demonstrates the willingness of Republicans to sell out their voters at a moment’s notice in the name of “do-somethingism.”
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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