Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and his Republican colleagues forced a vote on the Border Safety and Security Act on Wednesday, which would close the border until the Department of Homeland Security regains operational control. Democrats have blocked the bill.

in speechWhile Senator Tuberville maintains that he and his Republican colleagues have offered practical solutions to resolve the border crisis, he denounces Senator Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) “bipartisan” border deal in the Senate as nothing more than a messaging ploy to protect vulnerable Democratic senators in an election year. Senator Tuberville argues that Senator Schumer's bill would cost taxpayers $20 billion and do nothing to secure the border.

“Three weeks ago, two illegal immigrants attempted to enter Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia,” Senator Tuberville said in a speech on the Senate floor. “Two of the immigrants, both Jordanian nationals, were apprehended by Customs and Border Protection at the southern border and released into the United States. One of them was reportedly on a terrorist watch list.”

“So how did we get to this? How did we get to a situation where two people who are here illegally, who have not been vetted, who have not been identified, are trying to drive a truck onto a military base,” Tuberville said. “Again, these people have not been vetted, these people have not been identified. We have no idea who these people are. But this is what we know about the people who have entered our country: 25,000 Chinese have entered our country since October 1, 2023; 184,000 Haitians have entered our country because of Joe Biden's mass parole program; 101,000 Venezuelans; 91,000 Cubans; [and] “75,000 Nicaraguans. That doesn't include the 76,000 Afghans who came here after Joe Biden's failed attempt to withdraw from Afghanistan.”

“As I've said many times before, I have no problem with legal immigration, and neither do my Republican colleagues,” Tuberville continued. “America is a land of freedom and opportunity. If people want to come legally, they're welcome. But terrorists cannot be allowed to cross our borders without checks. Just ask the FBI. Beyond security concerns, we cannot afford to support the 11 million illegal immigrants who have crossed our border illegally in the last three and a half years. I don't know if Joe Biden missed the memo, but we are totally bankrupt, folks. We are totally bankrupt. And yet we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars to support these 11 million illegal immigrants. And this doesn't count the millions of people we call fugitives. If they're not going to be arrested for crossing the border, why on earth would they go somewhere else and [turn themselves in to] “Border Patrol? Because they're criminals.”

Tuberville said a recent report from the House Homeland Security Committee estimated that increased manpower on the southern border is costing American taxpayers about $450 billion a year, including $42 billion in direct welfare assistance.

“Why are Joe Biden and the Globalist Democrats allowing this to happen?” Tuberville asked. “Why is this happening? It's simply because Democrats are more interested in maintaining power than they are in the safety and protection of American taxpayers and American citizens. A congresswoman from New York admitted to this, saying she welcomes illegal immigration because it helps with redistricting. The president and his progressive left Democrats know that the more people they can bring into this country, the more blue districts they'll have and the longer they'll stay in power. It's a simple fact.”

“This bill, the Border Act of 2024, doesn't even have the word 'security' in the title,” Tuberville said, “because this bill will only exacerbate the crisis on our southern border. It's a border invasion bill. It's not a border bill. It's a border gift paid for by trillions of dollars by American taxpayers. It also undermines the power of the president by suggesting he will only close the border if necessary. [Customs and Border Protection]”The US is arresting 4,000 illegal immigrants a day. Yes, you heard me, a day. So you're going to pass a bill that will allow 4,000 people a day to come into the US? That's crazy.”

“This bill is just another PR stunt by globalist Democrats pretending to care about the border in an election year,” Tuberville said. “We need to get serious about the national security that open borders create. Seriously. If you don't believe that, ask our European allies whose countries have been nearly destroyed by immigration. The American people don't want another messaging campaign. They want to feel safe in their neighborhoods.” “If Democrats were serious about securing the border, they would support the Secure Border Act.”

Senator Tuberville was instrumental in introducing the Border Security Act of 2023, the Senate version of a bill (commonly known as HR2) that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. During his first three years as a Senator, Senator Tuberville has made numerous visits to the southern border and worked on many legislative initiatives to ensure border security.

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