GOP Senator Flat Out Accuses His Republican Colleagues of Tanking Border Deal ‘Because It’s a Presidential Election Year’
A Republican senator who has been working on a bipartisan border deal is lashing out at his GOP colleagues for trying to tank it.
In an interview on Fox News Sunday with anchor Shannon Bream, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) — the lead Republican negotiator on a bipartisan border deal — sounded off about what he says are misconceptions about the specifics. Specifically, he took on comments from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who claimed the agreement would “normalize” 5,000 migrants per day being allowed to cross the border.
“Right now these internet rumors is all the people are running on,” Lankford said. It would be absolutely absurd for me to agree to 5,000 people a day. This bill focuses on getting us to zero illegal crossings a day. There’s no amnesty. It increases the number of border patrol agents, increases asylum officers. It increases detention beds so we can quickly detain and then deport individuals. It ends catch and release. It focuses on additional deportation flights out. It changes our asylum process so that people get a fast asylum screening at a higher standard, and then get returned back to their home country. This is not about letting 5,000 people in a day. This is the most misunderstood section of this proposal.”
Later in the interview, Bream focused on the political ramifications of a deal. This week, some Republicans have flat out admitted that part of the GOP concern about a deal would be a potential boost to President Joe Biden.
“A lot of Republicans are saying [President Biden] has things he could use now, executive powers and laws that are not being enforced,” Bream said. “So why give him this in an election year? The cover of this deal that critics say is still going to let a lot of people in, but he gets to take a victory lap that he’s gotten something done.”
Lankford responded by calling out his Republican colleagues.
“It’s definitely not going to let a bunch of people in,” Lankford said. “It’s focused on actually turning people around on it. It is interesting, Republicans four months ago would not give funding for Ukraine, for Israel and for our southern border because we demanded changes in policy. So we actually locked arms together and said, ‘We’re not going to give you money for this. We want a change in law.’ And now it’s interesting, a few months later, when we’re finally going to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, just kidding. I actually don’t want a change in law because it’s a presidential election year.'”
Watch above, via Fox News.
