United States: In the United States, Representative Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) strongly criticized the bipartisan border deal revealed by Senate negotiators on Sunday night, dismissing it as “unacceptable.” Cammack expressed her astonishment at the consideration of this package, characterizing it as inferior.
During an interview on Fox News on Monday, she emphasized that President Biden is expected to apply more pressure on both the Senate and the House to promote what she perceives as a subpar border deal.
Cammack drew a colorful analogy, likening the proposed deal to a knockoff product being sold as a high-end brand. She suggested that despite attempts to present it as top-tier, it is, in reality, comparable to an imitation pulled from someone’s trunk in a back alley.
The outlined agreement includes provisions aimed at elevating standards for asylum screenings and expediting claims processing. It also seeks to close loopholes permitting parole or “catch and release” and grants new authority to shut down the border after a specified number of crossings.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House GOP leadership have already voiced their opposition, declaring the bill “dead on arrival” in the House. Conservative factions and allies of former President Trump also swiftly criticized the bill’s content, signaling a challenging path in Congress.
Cammack asserted in her Fox News interview that the proposed deal falls short of constituting a comprehensive border security package. She insisted that for her to support it, the bill must prioritize border security.
She emphasized the importance of honesty with the American people, stating that they are already frustrated and need to be informed that the package does not truly address border security concerns.
The US$118 billion national security supplemental includes allocations such as US$60 billion for Ukraine, US$14.1 billion for Israel, and aid for Indo-Pacific allies, in addition to the bipartisan border agreement.
Despite the opposition, President Biden lauded the bipartisan deal in a Sunday statement, urging Congress to approve the bill for his signature. He described it as a landmark national security deal with significant border reforms.