[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 87 (Monday, May 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3765-S3766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Border Act

  Now, Madam President, on the border, 3 months ago--3 months ago--
Senate Republicans blocked the strongest, most comprehensive border 
security bill we have seen in a generation. This week, Republicans will 
get another chance to do the right thing.
  Border security, we all know, is one of the most contentious issues 
that we have to wrestle with in Congress, but most people agree the 
status quo cannot continue. Our southern border is in desperate need of 
more resources, and our immigration system is in serious need of 
repair.
  President Biden, in recent weeks, has taken many actions to increase 
sanctions against human rights abusers, reform asylum, and enhance drug 
enforcement to the maximum extent his office allows. But, as our 
Republican colleagues have said for years, the only long-term solution 
to the border is bipartisan--bipartisan--legislation from Congress.
  Well, there is good news. Such bipartisan legislation does exist and 
is ready to go. I am talking, of course, about the bipartisan border 
act negotiated earlier this year by Senators Murphy and Sinema and 
Lankford and endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council, the 
Chamber of Commerce, and the very conservative Wall Street Journal 
editorial page. This week, the Senate will have an opportunity to move 
again on this bill.
  For the information of my colleagues, tomorrow I plan to file cloture 
on the motion to proceed to the bipartisan Border Act. The Senate will 
then vote on our bipartisan border bill on Thursday. All those who say 
we need to act on the border will get a chance this week to show they 
are serious about fixing the problem.

  Let me repeat: The Senate will vote on our bipartisan border bill on 
Thursday. All those who say we need to act on the border will get a 
chance this week to show they are serious--serious--about fixing the 
border.
  I implore my Republican colleagues to join us in advancing this bill. 
We are going to need bipartisan support if

[[Page S3766]]

there is any hope of getting this bill done.
  I will be clear: We do not expect every Democrat or every Republican 
to come out in favor of the bill, but as I have said before over and 
over again, the only way to pass this bill is with broad bipartisan 
support. I expect to see that on the Democratic side, and I hope we 
will see it on the Republican side as well.
  This bill was written explicitly with the goal of getting support 
from both parties, unlike messaging bills like H.R. 2, which did not 
have bipartisan support to get through both Chambers.
  The bill we are voting on this Thursday is practically the same bill 
that Senators Murphy and Sinema and Lankford and others negotiated 3 
months ago. Republicans agreed to the substance of this bill. It is not 
at all some new measure or something that comes only from the 
Democratic side. The bill we will vote on this Thursday reforms asylum, 
boosts staffing at the border, cracks down on drugs like fentanyl, and 
gives emergency powers to shut the border when crossings meet a certain 
threshold--all issues Republicans have said we must address.
  If our bipartisan border bill was good enough to win the support of 
the union that represents Border Patrol officers, it should be good 
enough to win the support of Senate Republicans.
  If you judge this bill by its substance and take out the partisanship 
injected by Donald Trump, it is an objectively tough, serious-minded, 
and critically bipartisan--bipartisan--solution to the border. In fact, 
when we released this bill earlier this year, many of our Republican 
colleagues were surprised at how strong it was, at least in private.
  For a short while, it seemed like we finally had a bill both parties 
could link arms on and pass together. Of course, we all know what 
happened. Donald Trump happened. He barged into the border debate and 
publicly came out against the bill, and the rest of his Republican 
supporters fell into place like dominoes.
  Let me be clear: The border bill did not fail 3 months ago because it 
was too weak. On the contrary, the border bill failed because it was 
too strong for Donald Trump's liking, and it risked taking away an 
issue he wanted to exploit on the campaign trail. He said that himself.
  Again, the border bill did not fail 3 months ago because it was too 
weak. It failed because it was too strong--too strong for Donald 
Trump's liking--and it risked taking away an issue he wanted to exploit 
on the campaign trail.
  As we all know, he was explicit about his intentions. He said, 
``Blame it on me,'' as if this were all one giant game to Donald Trump. 
He really doesn't care about the border. He just cares about the 
politics and the gamesmanship.
  Well, we the American people do not have the luxury of playing games 
with border security. The issue is too important to ignore, and the 
bill we negotiated earlier this year is too good to pass up. So we are 
going to give Republicans another chance this week.
  In the words of one of my Senate Republican colleagues, when we 
worked on the border bill earlier this year, ``this moment will pass. 
Do not let it pass.''
  I couldn't agree more.