Democrats and Republicans alike have succumbed to election-year politics and refused to compromise on the recently revealed failed bipartisan border security bill, believing the bill’s failure would “stop the bleeding”. said the Texas Border Patrol Mayor.
“I think both political parties are acting because this is an election year,” McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos told Fox News. “The American people, the Border Patrol, they’re tired. They’re tired of this.”
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He added that the lawmakers were “just kicking the ball around and trying to do whatever they can, but it’s for political purposes, not for the benefit of the American people.”
A long-awaited bipartisan border security agreement aimed at stemming the historic flow of migrants across the southern border was announced Sunday night, but immediately faced fierce opposition from Republicans in both chambers. However, a key vote on the bill was rejected 49-50, with all but four Republicans voting against it, and the deal collapsed.
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President Biden blamed former President Trump for the collapse of the border security agreement. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump urged lawmakers to reject the deal while negotiating the bill. (Getty Images)
President Biden, whose administration has overseen a record number of migrant encounters at the southern border, accused former President Trump of blocking the bill and threatening lawmakers with retaliation if they supported it. Trump used his influence with Republicans seeking re-election to urge them to reject the border deal.
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But Villalobos accused both men of failing to work with lawmakers to enact real change.
The number of encounters with migrants at the southern border hit a record high in December. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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“I don’t trust a lot of people at all anymore,” Villalobos said. “When Trump was president, [Republicans] We had a majority, but nothing happened. Now you have Biden. Nothing is happening until the election approaches. ”
Amid numerous Republican criticisms of the $118 billion spending plan, House Republican leaders say the bill encourages more illegal immigration and does not include enough aggressive measures to secure the border. He said it was not included. House Speaker Mike Johnson repeatedly said after the Senate bill was announced that the bill was “dead on arrival.”
Lawmakers across the aisle react to newly announced border deal:
The bill provided $20 billion for immigration enforcement, including hiring Border Patrol agents and officers to review asylum claims, and $650 million to build and strengthen border walls. It also gave Biden and the Department of Homeland Security the authority to close the border if the number of migrant encounters reaches an average of 5,000 over a seven-day period, or 8,500 in a single day.
Thousands of migrants are waiting at a processing center in Eagle Pass, Texas, in December, when the number of migrant encounters hit an all-time high. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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“We finally have a bill that will at least stop the bleeding,” Villalobos said. “But unfortunately… nothing will happen because of the election.”
“Take care of the American people first and put politics aside,” Villalobos added. “We know there’s a problem. Let’s address the problem. Maybe after the next election we’ll solve it.”
Ramiro Vargas contributed the accompanying video.
