Biden should take border-for-aid deal
As the end of year crunch in Washington approaches, senators on both sides of the aisle are racking up the urgency of passing President Joe Biden’s $106 billion national security supplemental request.
If passed, the supplemental will provide military funding for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan as well as money to hire over 1,000 new border patrol agents and stem the entry of fentanyl into the country.
However, Congressional Republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson are holding up a vote on the funding package over demands for changes to border laws. Republicans are looking to reform federal asylum policy as well as the parole process in order to stem the high flow of migration.
Speaker Johnson sent a letter to the White House to underline GOP demands, stating that Ukraine aid is “dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws.”
Even if Republican requests on reformed asylum policy go further than Democrats would like, the combined package would be a good deal for the country and essential for America’s national security as well as global stability.
Republicans have a clear political advantage on immigration according to public opinion polls that find voters have more trust in the GOP to handle the issue than they do in Democrats. A recent NBC poll found that by an 18 point margin voters believe Republicans do a better job on immigration. It is likely to be a significant vulnerability for President Biden’s re-election bid next year, as Americans see high numbers of migrants continue to come across the southern border and flow into cities.
However, Biden and Democrats can neutralize the issue or even turn it into a slight advantage if they accept a deal on stronger border measures. Democrats on the campaign trail will finally have a credible response to claims they are weak on the border, and they can turn the screws back on the GOP for playing politics with immigration.
California Governor Gavin
Newsom did an expert job of pinning Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on immigration during their recent Fox News debate, “You’re trolling folks and trying to find migrants to play political games, to try to get some news and attention, so you can out-trump Trump…That kind of gamesmanship, using human beings as pawns, I think is disqualifying.”
Furthermore, passing a combined border policy and national security package will be another bipartisan win for Biden that he can tout on the campaign trail. A core tenet of the president’s 2020 campaign pitch was that he would be a moderate dealmaker. A bipartisan deal on national security will only bolster Biden’s other bipartisan achievements; key evidence of promises made, promises kept, and promises delivered.
While trading right-wing immigration policies in exchange for military assistance for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan may
not be the preferred solution for left-wing Congressional Democrats opposed to stricter borders, the deal could go a long way in bringing voters’ view of the Democratic party back to the center ahead of 2024. The deal will also help fulfill President Biden’s priority of protecting and strengthening democracies abroad.
With Ukraine continuing to beat back Russia’s unjustified invasion, Israel seeking to root out Hamas terrorists while rescuing hostages, and the Chinese Communist Party watching with a close eye, it is absolutely essential to pass the aid bill before the new year.
Reports say that without new legislation, the U.S will run out of resources to support Ukraine by the end of the year, putting their chances of defeating Vladimir Putin’s aggression in peril. An outcome where we abandon Ukraine would have severe negative consequences for America’s international standing, especially
given President Biden’s repeated promises to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Xi Jinping and China are watching closely for any weakness in western resolve against authoritarianism, and enabling Putin to take Ukrainian sovereign territory will give China the green light to up their aggression in the Pacific, particularly against Taiwan. Thus, it is imperative that Congress passes military assistance for Ukraine and Taiwan to help preserve democracies abroad and counter two of our greatest adversaries.
Passing the bill in speedy fashion will also serve to reinforce America’s commitment to Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. Israel, the only democracy in the region, endured unspeakable atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 in what was the gravest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The United States must continue to give them full support in their existential fight
against Hamas and other Iranbacked terrorist groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Democrats and Republicans alike have praised President Biden for his steadfast support of Israel in the wake of the tragedy, and signing into law tens of billions of dollars of aid for Israel will only solidify that goodwill. It will also send a message to the far-left portion of the President’s party that the United States has no intention of abandoning Israel.
President Biden has the opportunity to swing into the presidential election year with a significant piece of bipartisan legislation which would simultaneously help tackle the migrant crisis at the southern border and strengthen our foreign allies in the fight against evil and autocracy. It is a chance he should not pass up.