Text from the Senate’s bipartisan border bill has finally been released and according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, it’s “worse than expected.”
Johnson says the bill will be DOA in the lower chamber.
“This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created,” Johnson said on X, formerly Twitter.
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
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he plans to hold a vote in the higher chamber by Wednesday.
“The priorities in this bill are too important to ignore and too vital to allow politics to get in the way,” Schumer said in a statement. “The United States and our allies are facing multiple, complex and, in places, coordinated challenges from adversaries who seek to disrupt democracy and expand authoritarian influence around the globe.”
From NEWSMAX:
In addition to $20.23 billion for border security, the bill included $60.06 billion to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, $2.44 billion to U.S. Central Command and the conflict in the Red Sea, and $4.83 billion to support U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific facing aggression from China, according to figures from Senator Patty Murray, who chairs the Senate’s Appropriation Committee.
An additional $10 billion would provide humanitarian assistance for civilians in conflict zones including in Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, although the bill includes a provision barring its funds from going to the U.N. agency for Palestinians, UNRWA. The Biden administration and other nations have paused funding to the agency over allegations that some of its staff were involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel.
The U.S. Senate unveiled a $118 billion bipartisan border security bill that would also provide aid to Ukraine and Israel following months of negotiations. https://t.co/1QlhnmNZR4 https://t.co/Txdwm2XoGO
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 5, 2024
