[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2653-S2654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              IMMIGRATION

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, sometimes, I have to wonder if Democrats 
remember the last election and how 4 years of recordbreaking illegal 
immigration on President Biden's watch helped hand the House, the 
Senate, and the White House to Republicans, because to watch the 
Democrat Party right now, you would think that 2024 never happened. 
Democrats not only haven't rejected the open borders philosophy of the 
Biden administration; they have doubled down.
  At least we had the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement under President Biden. Now, every Senate Democrat is on 
record as wanting to shut down those Agencies. That is right. Democrats 
voted to defund--to defund--the agents who stand guard on our Nation's 
borders and help prevent dangerous individuals from entering our 
country. They voted to defund the agents who remove criminal illegal 
immigrants who do make their way into the United States.

[[Page S2654]]

  And when I say ``defund,'' I mean defund. Democrats opposed giving 
these Agencies a single dollar. And I hope--I really hope--that my 
Democrat colleagues are not going to attempt to defend themselves by 
claiming that they simply wanted reforms of these Agencies and that 
Republicans wouldn't give them to them, because as the record amply, 
amply reflects, Democrats were offered reforms again and again. The 
White House not only made reforms on its own; it repeatedly offered 
Democrats a robust legislative package. But Democrats weren't 
interested, presumably because they somehow thought that ``defund law 
enforcement'' and ``abolish border security'' would play well for them 
in November.
  Of course, I am pretty sure most Americans don't think we should 
eliminate security at our Nation's borders or open the floodgates for 
unchecked illegal immigration. But that hasn't stopped Democrats from 
embracing ``defund the police 2.0.''
  I am happy to report that, as of Friday, Democrats' crusade to defund 
border security and law enforcement is well on its way to failure--for 
now--for now, at any rate. Senate Republicans passed legislation to 
fund Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the next 
3 years to ensure that Democrats can't try defunding these Agencies 
again this fall. But it is deeply disturbing that we are in this 
position, that we are having to use the reconciliation process just to 
get normal appropriations passed for border security and immigration 
enforcement.
  The damage that Democrats caused in the 2026 fiscal year has been 
immense: two recordbreaking government shutdowns, critical workers at 
DHS left for months without pay, government workers lined up at food 
banks, TSA agents quitting in droves. And that is not to even mention 
what could be irreparable harm to the appropriations process here in 
the Senate.
  And then there is our subject today, ``defund the police 2.0''--the 
Democrats' resolute refusal to spend a single dollar protecting our 
Nation's borders or deporting criminals here in our country illegally.
  It is absurd that Republicans are having to act unilaterally to fund 
basic national security responsibilities.
  What is the Democratic Party going to propose defunding next? The 
DEA? The FBI? Our Nation's military? Where exactly does this insanity 
end?
  The Democrat leader has repeatedly attempted to cloud the issue, 
going so far as to make the insane suggestion that Congress somehow has 
to choose between our national security responsibilities and addressing 
the challenges facing hard-working Americans--to which I say not only 
can we walk and chew gum at the same time, but we have an obligation to 
do so. It is our responsibility as Members of Congress to work to 
alleviate not only the economic challenges facing Americans but to 
protect our Nation's security, and that includes securing our borders 
and attempting to ensure that criminals, drug traffickers, terrorists, 
and other dangerous individuals do not make their way into our country 
and that, if they do make their way in, they are identified and 
deported.
  As long as Republicans are in charge, we will be focused on both the 
economic challenges facing our country and on securing peace and safety 
for hard-working Americans. On our watch, there will be agents at our 
borders to prevent terrorists, traffickers, and other dangerous 
individuals from making their way into our country, and there will be 
agents to take criminal illegal immigrants off of America's streets.
  I only wish I could say the same of our Democrat colleagues.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.

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