Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement on Wednesday regarding his decision to oppose the Senate-negotiated border deal:
“The number one responsibility of the federal government is ensuring the safety and security of the American people. Securing our borders is essential to that end. While I appreciate the efforts made by Senator Lankford and my colleagues to negotiate on border policy, the resulting deal fails to address the border crisis caused by President Biden’s open border polices and refusal to enforce our immigration laws, which have allowed 8.8 million illegal immigrants and counting into our country.
“Gaping loopholes, poor border enforcement mechanisms and a lack of accountability measures make this legislation woefully inadequate. Ultimately, this bill would yield massive discretionary power on border policy to President Biden and his administration. I will not vote to advance a bill that would codify ineffective policies and give President Biden more power to abuse what he has already so badly broken.
“I continue to call on President Biden to uphold his oath of office and protect our national security by enforcing the immigration laws that are on the books. President Biden said he needed the border deal to secure the border. But one of the negotiators, Senator Murphy, said that even with this legislation “the border never closes.” President Biden has the authority to shut down the border – it’s the same authority he used to open it with the multitude of executive orders he issued on the first day of his presidency.
“The ongoing challenges to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan remain concerning. I hope to see Congress find an alternative solution to address these national security threats soon.”
