Murphy: For Donald Trump And The Republicans, The Border Is Just A Moneymaking Grievance Machine That They … – Senator Chris Murphy
WASHINGTONU.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, on Thursday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor on Republicans refusal to work with Democrats to address the crisis at the border they pretend to care about because they would rather help Trumps re-election.
Murphy explained why Republicans blocked his bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) to address the crisis at the border: Because Republicans do not wantto fix the border.The secret's out. ForRepublicans, the border is amoneymaking grievance machine.And if we passed our border billand fixed the problem,Republicans literally wouldn'tknow what for do with theirdays.Fox would lose ratings.Republican Senators would loseclicks and donors. Donald Trumpwould lose an issue to campaignon.What would some of my Republican Senatecolleagues do with theirweekends if they couldn't godown to the border and dress upas border patrol officers andscream about fake outrage?If the border bill passed, ifthe border was under control,Republicans might have to gethobbies. If the bipartisan bill tocontrol our border had passed,our border would be moreorderly.Our immigration system would bevastly improved.America would be better off andmore secure.But, yes, Republicans would losetheir moneymaking grievancemachine: the broken border.That's what happened. Republicans killed the toughestbipartisan border bill that theyhave ever seen because theydon't want to fix the border.They want to keep it a messbecause they think it helps thempolitically.
Murphy compared President Bidens intentions with Donald Trumps desire to exploit the border as a political issue: You know who does want to fixthe border?President Joe Biden, Democratsin Congress.Joe Biden asked for thoseadditional resources to hiremore patrol agents, to buildmore detention capacity, to installmore technology at the border tointerrupt the fentanyl trade.Joe Biden helped write thebipartisan border bill whichgave him those new powers Italked about. And today, Joe Bidenis going to be at the border totalk about his agenda to putborder security first, but alsoto make other badly neededchanges to our immigrationsystem, like improving ourasylum system and getting apathway to citizenship forpeople who have been living inthe shadows of our society forfar too long.Donald Trump is going to be atthe border today, too, but for adifferent reason.Donald Trump does not see theborder as a problem that needsto be fixed.Donald Trump sees the border asa problem to be exploited.He openly brags aboutinstructing his followers herein the United States Senate tokill the bipartisan border billbecause its passage would havebeen good for Joe Biden and thecountry.
Murphy concluded: For Joe Biden the border is aserious issue that he wants tofix.He has a plan to do it.For Donald Trump and theRepublicans, the border is justa moneymaking grievance machinethat they refuse to solve.
A full transcript of Murphys remarks can be found below:
So, here's a snapshot ofwhat happened.Republicans said that fixing theborder was their top priority.They appointed a hardlineconservative, my friend Senator James Lankford, to come up with a bipartisan bill to fix the border. They said if Lankford can get the deal, they'd support it.
We got that deal.If it passed, it would have beenthe toughest border securitybill in our lifetime.Arguably, it would have been thetoughest border security billever.$20 billion for border security, more detention beds, more patrolofficers, more asylum officers,more equipment to interceptfentanyl, a new power for the president toclose parts of the border whencrossings get too high.An end to the era in which anasylum applicant could spend tenyears in the country beforetheir application was heard.
It was tough.It would have helped to fix theborder.It was a compromise.Get this: it was supported by theconservative pro-Trump BorderPatrol Union and theleft-leaning Association ofImmigration Attorneys. TheWashington Post was for it, andThe Wall Street Journal wasfor it.It was a true compromise.
But within hours of the bill'srelease, Republicans killed it.When it came to the floor, onlyfour Republicans voted for thebill they asked for.It has now been 22 days sinceRepublicans killed the toughestborder security bill of ourlifetime a bipartisan bill thatwould have helped us control theborder.
Why did Republicans do this?Because Republicans do not wantto fix the border.The secret's out. ForRepublicans, the border is amoneymaking grievance machine.
And if we passed our border billand fixed the problem,Republicans literally wouldn'tknow what for do with theirdays.Fox would lose ratings.Republican Senators would loseclicks and donors. Donald Trumpwould lose an issue to campaignon.
What would some of my Republican Senatecolleagues do with theirweekends if they couldn't godown to the border and dress upas border patrol officers andscream about fake outrage?If the border bill passed, ifthe border was under control,Republicans might have to gethobbies.
If the bipartisan bill tocontrol our border had passed,our border would be moreorderly.Our immigration system would bevastly improved.America would be better off andmore secure.But, yes, Republicans would losetheir moneymaking grievancemachine: the broken border.
That's what happened. Republicans killed the toughestbipartisan border bill that theyhave ever seen because theydon't want to fix the border.They want to keep it a messbecause they think it helps thempolitically.
22 days since Republicans killedthe toughest bipartisan bordersecurity bill in over a decade.
You know who does want to fixthe border?President Joe Biden, Democratsin Congress.Joe Biden asked for thoseadditional resources to hiremore patrol agents, to buildmore detention capacity, to installmore technology at the border tointerrupt the fentanyl trade.
Joe Biden helped write thebipartisan border bill whichgave him those new powers Italked about. And today, Joe Bidenis going to be at the border totalk about his agenda to putborder security first, but alsoto make other badly neededchanges to our immigrationsystem, like improving ourasylum system and getting apathway to citizenship forpeople who have been living inthe shadows of our society forfar too long.
Donald Trump is going to be atthe border today, too, but for adifferent reason.Donald Trump does not see theborder as a problem that needsto be fixed.Donald Trump sees the border asa problem to be exploited.He openly brags aboutinstructing his followers herein the United States Senate tokill the bipartisan border billbecause its passage would havebeen good for Joe Biden and thecountry.
For Joe Biden the border is aserious issue that he wants tofix.He has a plan to do it.For Donald Trump and theRepublicans, the border is justa moneymaking grievance machinethat they refuse to solve.
The problem is that nothing can passin Washington without Republicansupport.I know there are Republicans whovoted for the bipartisan bill. Only four, but the rule is that Republicansrefuse to support moreresources, more patrol officers,more detention beds, and therule is that they will voteagainst any bipartisanlegislation to make the bordermore secure.
So, [it has been] 22 days since Republicanskilled the toughest bordersecurity bill during our time inthe Senate, and unfortunately theborder is going to remainunresolved so long as Republicans dont want to solve it.
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