(NewsNation) — The Senate’s bipartisan border bill is being condemned by a variety of people, including some members of Congress. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., says “it’s a bit of a mess” because the package includes several different interests, aspects and stakeholders.
But Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-N.C., a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, passionately advocated for the need for bipartisan cooperation to address pressing issues.
House Republican leadership put out a statement Monday slamming immigration measures included in the $118 billion package senators unveiled Sunday that also includes aid for Israel and Ukraine.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed grave concerns about the escalating situation in Ukraine, warning that failure to pass a border bill could lead to American involvement in a war in Europe.
The proposed deal includes a substantial allocation of funds, with $60 billion designated for Ukraine, $1.4 billion for Israel, $4.8 billion for security in the Indo Pacific and an additional $20 billion for border security measures. Despite the outlined provisions, concerns have emerged regarding the effectiveness of tightening border security.
Waltz, a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Intelligence Committee, acknowledged the challenges of the legislative process in a Monday interview on NewsNation’s “On Balance.” Waltz expressed frustration with the bundled nature of the proposed deal, advocating for separate debates on individual issues.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressing his opposition, claimed that the bill is “dead on arrival.” President Joe Biden, however, argued that securing the border requires cooperation from Congress, stating that he cannot take executive action without legislative support.
“We said from day one, break these things up, they deserve individual debates, there are individual issues here. But to lump them all together was something the White House was determined to do,” Waltz remarked. “We passed HR2 nine months ago.”
Nickel expressed his support for the bill, describing it as a “good compromise” that garnered criticism from both “the far left and the far right.” The congressman highlighted the importance of working across party lines to achieve meaningful results, emphasizing that the American people expect their representatives to get things done.
“This is a good product that addresses border security reforms, addresses a broken immigration system, and supports our allies in Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine,” Nickel stated in an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
“A majority of the Republican Conference supports Ukraine. We just need to get a bill and put it on the floor for a vote,” Nickel asserted, stating that supporting Ukraine is in the national interest and a top national security priority.
The Border Patrol union acknowledged the imperfections of the bill but viewed it as a step in the right direction.
