[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 210 (Wednesday, December 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S6073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BORDER SECURITY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, negotiations on border security 
continue to make headway. I am grateful to Senator Lankford for his 
uninterrupted focus on the task at hand, which is meaningful policy 
changes.
  Our colleagues at the negotiating table are under no illusions about 
how difficult it is to fix our Nation's broken asylum and parole 
system. They are working on what would be the first serious repair in 
more than 30 years.
  But there is no longer any disagreement that the situation at the 
southern border is unsustainable and requires the Senate to act. This 
is the core of America's national security. It will be an essential 
part of supplemental legislation to address pressing security 
challenges, and negotiations will continue in earnest until we get 
there.
  The Senate cannot afford to get this wrong. From South Texas to 
Southeast Asia and from the Black Sea to the Red Sea, it is a 
historically challenging and consequential time to protect America's 
interests, our allies, and our own people.

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