Exclusive: Sen. Tim Scott (R.S.C.) told FOX News Digital on Monday that he will unequivocally vote against the Senate’s border and immigration deal tied to aid to Israel and Ukraine. They argue that aid should be sequestered and say President Biden already has the power needed to end the border crisis.
Asked if he supports the deal, which was announced Sunday night and is likely to be voted on this week, Scott said: “My answer is a Hades no.”
Senate negotiators announced an $118 billion additional spending deal late Sunday, including funding for Ukraine, Israel and about $20 billion for border and immigration issues. It is.
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This includes new border authorities that allow Title 42-style deportations when immigration levels exceed 5,000 people per day on a seven-day rolling average, narrowing asylum eligibility while expediting the process. , providing additional work permits for asylum seekers and funding a significant increase in staffing. At the border, in immigration courts, and in asylum offices.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and former President Donald Trump look on as Republican presidential candidate speaks during a campaign rally at the Grappon Convention Center in Concord, New Hampshire, on January 19, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The bill faces significant opposition from conservatives, including in the Republican-controlled House. Lawmakers say the deal will normalize high levels of illegal immigration while funding non-governmental organizations and providing legal aid to illegal immigrants. Some on the left also oppose the bill because it does not include a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants already in the United States.
Scott argued that Biden can already secure the border without the authority that Scott believes would allow too many immigrants into the country before the bill is activated, calling the bill “unsatisfactory and unsatisfactory.” “It’s necessary,” he said. Biden said the border cannot be secured without fixing the “broken” immigration system and providing additional funding.
“I think it’s a big lie that Joe Biden says we need Congressional action to secure our border,” Scott said.
He also objected to the bill’s tying of $60 billion to Ukraine and $14 billion to Israel, saying those issues should be discussed and passed separately.
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“We’re going to spend $60 billion in Ukraine, and we already need accountability for the money we spend,” he said. “What brought us here is the Israeli crisis, which cost about $14 billion. We are using the crisis in our ally Israel to put more money into Ukraine and lessen the real focus on border issues. You are making a grave mistake.”
“I’m grateful that we can finally have a conversation about the border, but it’s wrong. The border should be in silos. We should be fixing and securing our southern border, and the president of the United States ‘Now we can do it right,’ he said. “What did he undo? [former President Donald] Trump will keep us safe. Joe Biden did it himself. He literally tore apart secure borders with his actions as president. ”
Mr. Scott, who recently ended his 2024 presidential bid and endorsed Mr. Trump in his bid for the White House, said he would first deal with Israel independently and then craft a standalone bill to address the border crisis. .
“In fact, it would be an acknowledgment of the fact that the vast majority of people coming across the border are not from Mexico,” he said. “Literally, Chinese nationals are coming across our southern border in record numbers, and we have over 150 countries represented on our southern border. So if we’re going to do an effective job… So we’ll put these in silo packages so we can actually confront them.”I think the problem facing this country is the inclusion of sleeper cells in our country. Because…the Biden administration is not monitoring who is coming into our country at a rate of 85% with 10 million coming in by the election. ”
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Scott contrasted this with the Trump administration’s stance, which he sees as having been successful in curbing illegal immigration into the United States.
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“The key was the desire to have secure borders first and foremost,” he says. “Second, we need the tenacity and fortitude to take the necessary steps to secure our borders, including a Remain in Mexico policy, including seeking asylum in neighboring countries, and placing more emphasis on Mexico’s other border.” “That was the spirit of ‘not our borders, and of course codified the wall and the funding for it,'” he said.
