Republicans neglect the border, but can’t ignore national security

Earlier this year, I traveled to Tokyo and Okinawa with a bipartisan delegation to meet with government officials, industry leaders, and academics to discuss elections, trade, defense, the economy, and many other issues. But in almost every meeting, the chair raised specific questions about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whether the United States would abandon its most needed ally.

The world is watching to see how America will respond. Our allies in Europe, the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and elsewhere are concerned about our credibility as leaders of the free world. At the same time, our adversaries and enablers are watching just as closely to assess our resolve.

As Ukraine fights for freedom, Israel fights terrorism, and Taiwan faces threats to its democracy and independence, we cannot abdicate our responsibilities.

President Putin issues chilling warning against sending Western troops to defend Ukraine

If we fail to support our allies, the message will become clear that the United States no longer represents democracies around the world. A democracy that holds free and fair elections, strives for equality, protects freedom of speech and the press, and supports freedom of religion.

We risk emboldening our adversaries, including in Eastern Europe. The most recent example is Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most ardent and vocal critic, who recently died in state custody. Regardless of the exact circumstances of his death, President Putin is responsible.

That’s why Congress must act now.

As Democrats struggle to support their allies, Republican lawmakers have ironically used the border security issue as a cover to abdicate their obligation to support their allies. In doing so, they jeopardize our national security. This hypocrisy is driven by their fear of former President Donald Trump’s wrath.

When President Joe Biden and Democrats introduced legislation to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan last fall, Republicans called for border security as a condition of aid. Taking them at their word, a bipartisan group of lawmakers drafted a bill aimed at both funding allies and addressing border security.

Here’s where it gets weird. Before even reading the new bill, Republicans immediately veto it. why? The bill includes provisions to address border issues and will likely have bipartisan support in the House, but President Trump’s greatest hope is for the issue to advance before the November election. Thing.

becomes terrible. The Senate then passed a bipartisan foreign aid bill that removed the border provisions, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) refused to advance the bill in the House, saying it did not mention the border issue. All of these flip-flops are enough to make your head spin.

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House Republicans have made it clear that they are not serious about governing and have no interest in combining border security with aid to our allies. Rather, they want to use borders as political weapons.

But our allies can’t wait. They depend on American leadership. We must send a message to the world that America stands for freedom and democracy and opposes tyranny and terrorism. It’s time for House Republicans to join us. Without further delay, we must work together to pass a critical aid package for our allies that includes humanitarian assistance for those affected by war.

We risk emboldening our adversaries, including in Eastern Europe. The most recent example is Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most ardent and vocal critic, who recently died in state custody. Regardless of the exact circumstances of his death, President Putin is responsible.

For too long, Republicans have dominated the debate over immigration and the border, but today is a new day. The New Democratic Coalition, a group of 100 center-left politicians dedicated to bringing tangible progress to our country, has released a 10-point policy. Framework We call for practical, bipartisan immigration reform and call on Republicans to come to the negotiating table.

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We are dedicated to protecting our national security by restoring order to our borders and supporting our allies. But the ideal path forward is bipartisan. At this critical moment, both sides of the aisle must come together so that Americans can trust their government to follow through on policy, and the world can trust that we will stick to our promises. not.

We call on Speaker Johnson and the House Republican leadership to honor their oaths of office and put Americans and allies above politics.

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