Senator Lindsey Graham struck an ominous tone about the state of the US-Mexico border, sounding the alarm about the growing potential for another terrorist attack of the caliber of September 11.
While sounding his ominous warning, Graham (RS.C.) thought the likelihood of the Senate hammering out a bipartisan deal on Ukraine and the border before the end of the year was pretty low.
“I’ve never been more worried about 9/11 than I am now and that our borders have been wiped out,” Graham told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“We’re not going to give up on some Band-Aid fix,” he added. “The bottom line here is that we feel like we’re stuck. We are not close to an agreement.”
The South Carolina senator was referring to a recent warning from FBI Director Christopher Wray that the war in Israel has produced “terrorist inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS.”
Republicans have demanded that Democrats make concessions on border security in exchange for an aid deal to Ukraine, which both parties in Congress mostly agree needs to be replenished.
Graham has been one of the GOP’s most vocal supporters of Ukraine but has united with his fellow Republicans in wanting an additional aid package coupled with border security.
Last week, the House adjourned for the winter break, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) revealed plans to call the upper chamber back into session this week to consider a compromise package.
Leading negotiators, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) have indicated that significant progress has been made.
The problem is that the language for “immigration law is very technical,” according to Lankford. In other words, drafting the bill is likely to be difficult and time-consuming.
“I think this will come in next year. I’ve talked to people at the table,” Graham said.
It is not entirely clear where the talks stand, with negotiators giving mixed signals.
Lindsey Graham believes that the US desperately needs to address the border situation amid an increase in terrorist threats. Getty Images
“We made very good progress today. We are moving forward on big issues,” Sinema told Politico Saturday.
“We have a long way to go,” Lankford told the outlet.
The main thing is how to deal with asylum seekers. Democrats generally believe the US has a moral obligation to accept them, while Republicans argue that policy has become a major source of immigration.
During fiscal year 2023, more than 3.2 million encounters were reported, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection.
Last week, the White House became more involved in the discussions, sending Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The White House has expressed openness to border authorities deporting migrants without screening for asylum under certain conditions when daily crossing levels are particularly high, the Washington Post reported.
They have also reportedly floated an expansion of detention facilities and increased deportations to appease Republicans.
James Lankford is not so optimistic about a deal on Ukraine and the border being settled before the winter break. AP
This reported offer has sparked many progressives such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)
Biden has described the failure to pass an additional aid package for Ukraine as a “Christmas present” to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The president has sought $61.4 billion for Ukraine in an overall $106 billion package announced in October that also includes funding for Israel, Taiwan, and the US southern border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington on Tuesday and held talks with lawmakers on the Hill, but Republicans did not appear to budge on their demands for border security.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated that he will call the House of Representatives back into session this week if they reach a breakthrough in negotiations.
The Border Patrol has faced a record number of encounters as mayors and governors across the country complain about being overwhelmed by migrants. Reuters
During the interview, Graham also appeared to downplay the House GOP impeachment inquiry into Biden over his family’s alleged influence peddling that was inaugurated last week.
“I didn’t really pay attention to it,” Graham said. “They have to prove that President Biden somehow benefited financially from Hunter Biden’s business enterprise. We’ll see.”
“If there’s a smoking gun, I think we’re going to talk about it,” he added when asked if Republicans had proven the case.
His comments highlighted the latest rift between House Republicans and their Senate counterparts over the issue of the impeachment inquiry.
The South Carolinian also downplayed former President Donald Trump’s latest controversial remarks during a New Hampshire rally on Saturday that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
The Biden campaign later claimed that Trump was “hunting Adolf Hitler” during the speech.
“I don’t care what language people use as long as we do it right. I believe in legal immigration. I have no animosity towards people trying to come to our country,” Graham said.
“The president has a way of talking sometimes I don’t agree but he actually delivers it at the border. People are looking for results.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
