Staff Reports
A group of centrist House Democrats is asking President Joe Biden to strengthen security at the southern border shortly after he approved a $95 billion foreign aid package. Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, Jared Golden, Mary Peltola, Vicente Gonzalez, and Don Davis voiced their support for the National Border Patrol Council’s call for action to bring order to the Southern border. The lawmakers emphasized the importance of national security interests, referencing the decision to provide weapons to Ukraine and the tragic lessons of history such as Pearl Harbor.
House Democrats Urge Biden to Bolster Border Security After He Signs $95 Billion Foreign Aid Bill
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They highlighted their previous support for allocating $19.6 billion to Border Patrol for securing the border. Additionally, they urged President Biden to use his authority to quickly deport some illegal immigrants to Mexico and for Congress to pass legislation restoring Border Patrol’s expulsion authority that expired last year.
The lawmakers’ statement followed President Biden’s approval of the $95 billion aid package, which includes $61 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel, $8.12 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the aid package specifies that a significant portion of the aid to Ukraine will be in the form of a forgiveable loan and includes military assistance for Ukrainian forces.
In response to the new law, Republican lawmakers and border security officials expressed disappointment with the lack of sufficient border security funding or policy provisions. National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd criticized the decision to allocate funds for securing foreign borders while neglecting to support border security in the United States.
