Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released a statement Wednesday explaining his decision to oppose the Senate-negotiated border deal, which had been in the works between Senate leadership behind the scenes for months. Grassley acknowledged the efforts of his colleagues in negotiations but criticized the resulting deal for its failure to address the border crisis he says is caused by President Biden’s open-border policies. He says, “Gaping loopholes, poor border enforcement mechanisms, and a lack of accountability measures make this legislation woefully inadequate. Ultimately, this bill would yield massive discretionary power on border policy to President Biden and his administration. I will not vote to advance a bill that would codify ineffective policies and give President Biden more power to abuse what he has already so badly broken.” The now-dead deal also included additional funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan wholly unrelated to the border. Grassley believes each aspect of the bill deserves to be considered independently and says, “The ongoing challenges to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan remain concerning. I hope to see Congress find an alternative solution to address these national security threats soon.” The Senate failed to generate enough support for the legislation to bring it to a formal vote. Even had it advanced through the Senate, House Speaker Mike Johnson had already indicated the bill would not make it to the floor for debate.
