Special Poll
President Biden sharply criticized Republicans for obstructing border security legislation in the Senate on Thursday, claiming that the GOP shows a lack of concern for securing the United States’ southern frontier.
“Congressional Republicans demonstrate no interest in securing our border or amending America’s flawed immigration framework. Were their intentions genuine, they would have supported what amounts to the most stringent border enforcement ever proposed. Instead, they have today chosen partisan strife over our national security,” he articulated in a release.
Senators cast their votes 43 to 50, rejecting the proposal, a decision that was anticipated and marked the second defeat of the legislation, which had been under negotiation throughout the autumn and winter by Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).
In his pronouncement, Biden remarked that the bill would have increased the number of Border Patrol agents, immigration judges, and asylum officers, and would have allocated funds for technology to detect and curb fentanyl trafficking.
Furthermore, Biden expressed disappointment that the Republicans’ vote against the bill also spurned a provision that would have endowed him, as President, with new emergency powers to temporarily close the border during overwhelming situations.
He reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the deficiencies in the immigration system, in spite of Republican calls for him to exert his executive powers to remedy the situation at the border.
Earlier in the week, the White House spotlighted fentanyl trafficking at the U.S. southern border as a crucial reason for Republicans to support the legislation, urging lawmakers to prioritize saving lives over adhering to political lines.
The administration also criticized Republicans for their initial failure to pass the bipartisan border bill, particularly after former President Trump had exhorted them to reject it, hoping to keep the border as a pivotal issue for Election Day.
On Monday, Biden engaged in discussions with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in an effort to secure the bill’s passage.