The U.S. Senate released a draft of the border bill and it’s an utter disgrace to the American people.
The bill allocates $20 billion for border security, but also divvies $74 billion in aid to Ukraine and Israel.
$60 billion for Ukraine.
$14 billion for Israel.
Nothing for the people of East Palestine or Maui.
It’s a piece of ‘America Last’ legislation.
🚨#BREAKING: The U.S. Senate has released a draft of a $118 billion bipartisan bill, allocating $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, and $20 billion for border security.
However, there is no provision for the residents of East Palestine, and there is…
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 5, 2024
Journalist Nick Sortor shared a breakdown of the $118 billion ‘bipartisan’ border bill:
🚨 The Senate’s “Bipartisan Border Bill” provides aid to the tune of at least:
– $60 billion to Ukraine
– $14 billion to IsraelBUT NOTHING FOR MAUI, of course. pic.twitter.com/n6t3jdPGo2
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 5, 2024
A closer look:
Senate unveils bipartisan $118 billion 'Emergency National Security' bill – giving $60 billion to Ukraine, $20 billion for US border security https://t.co/QQIMEnX5cK pic.twitter.com/9ULGnKL4Oj
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 5, 2024
ABC News reports:
Sources previously told ABC News that the deal would require the Department of Homeland Security to nearly shut down the border if migrant crossings increase above 5,000 per day on any given week or if average daily encounters reach a 4,000-a-day threshold in a one-week span.
That set off Republican attacks over the legislation — which Lankford, his party’s key negotiator on the proposal, worked to refute in the leadup to its release.
“They’re still waiting to be able to read the bill on this. And this has been our great challenge of being able to fight through the final words, to be able to get the bill text out so people can hear it,” he said on Fox News last month. “Right now, there’s internet rumors is all that people are running on. It would be absolutely absurd for me to agree to 5,000 people a day. This bill focuses on getting us to zero illegal crossings a day. There’s no amnesty.”
The Senate is expected to begin moving forward with the legislation later this week. Supporters will need 60 senators to back the bill during a Wednesday procedural vote, though it’s not yet clear whether there will be the requisite number of Republicans.
The outlet shared statements from Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas signaling support for the drafted legislation.
“For too long, going back decades, the immigration system has been broken. It’s time to fix it. That’s why over two months ago I instructed members of my administration to work with a bipartisan group of Senators to – finally – seriously address the issue. And, that’s what they’ve done – working around the clock, through the holidays and over weekends. Now we’ve reached an agreement on a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I strongly support it,” Biden’s statement read.
“The bipartisan agreement in the Senate is tough, fair, and takes meaningful steps to address the challenges our country faces after decades of Congressional inaction,” a statement from Mayorkas read.
“The Border Emergency Authority has been the most misunderstood or maybe just misrepresented parts of the bill. Some people have said it would mean 5,000 people a day are coming into the country every day. That is absurd and untrue,” Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said.
“The emergency authority is not designed to let 5,000 people in, it is designed to close the border and turn 5,000 people around,” he claimed.
The emergency authority is not designed to let 5,000 people in, it is designed to close the border and turn 5,000 people around.
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) February 5, 2024
“The Border Emergency Authority only lasts 3 yrs to force this Admin to shut down the border & to give time for the next POTUS to hire more agents & more officers. After three years, the emergency authority expires because we should have regained full control of our border by then,” Lankford added.
The Border Emergency Authority only lasts 3 yrs to force this Admin to shut down the border & to give time for the next POTUS to hire more agents & more officers. After three years, the emergency authority expires because we should have regained full control of our border by then
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) February 5, 2024
House Republicans refuted Lankford’s claims.
“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,” Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) said.
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
“5,000 illegal aliens per day. 150,000 illegal aliens per month. 1,800,000 illegal aliens per year. $60+ BILLION MORE to Ukraine. This Senate deal is TRASH, plain and simple,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) commented.
5,000 illegal aliens per day.
150,000 illegal aliens per month.
1,800,000 illegal aliens per year.$60+ BILLION MORE to Ukraine.
This Senate deal is TRASH, plain and simple.
269 days ago, @HouseGOP passed a REAL SOLUTION to the border crisis, H.R. 2 – https://t.co/5CmNVFEJRr
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) February 5, 2024
Just the News noted:
The legislation’s asylum reform would mandate the expulsion of illegal immigrants if the number of illegal border crossings reaches above 5,000 daily for a five-day average. If the number reaches 4,000, a president would have the option to invoke the expulsion authority.
That provision drew immediate howls in the House, where Republicans said it normalized a flow of illegal aliens.
“The Senate AMNESTY bill erases our borders,” Rep. Mary Miller, R-I’ll., said on X. “Every Senator took an oath to uphold our laws, including our border security & immigration laws. The Senators want to allow 5,000 illegal immigrants to walk across our border per day. NO! This is AMERICA LAST!”
Updated: Bipartisan Senate border bill would mandate expulsions if illegal immigrants exceed 5,000 daily https://t.co/HuhmaLOn1u
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) February 5, 2024
“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 dead on arrival,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said.
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
More from Breitbart:
The much-touted emergency border “shutdown” in the establishment’s Border Act will not be activated unless the president’s homeland security says so, says a clause buried deep in the 280-page bill.
The legal loophole can be seen on page 119:
Whenever the border emergency authority is activated, the Secretary shall have the authority, in the Secretary’s sole and unreviewable discretion, to summarily remove from and prohibit, in whole or in part, entry into the United States of any alien identified in subsection (a)(3) who is subject to such authority in accordance with this subsection.
The loophole converts the supposedly “mandatory” border shutdown into a conditional presidential policy option — that can only be activated when there are many more migrants than during the border emergency declared by President Donald Trump during his first term.
By raising the required numbers, and adding multiple exemptions, the legislation makes it far more difficult for a president to declare a border shutdown — which is the reverse of much media coverage during the last few days.
“This RINO-Dem immigration deal is really a mass amnesty that essentially locks in 2 million illegals per year,” said a tweet by Donald Trump Jr.
Read the drafted legislation HERE.