(Headline USA) Joe Biden is leveraging border security to get even more money for Ukraine.
The idea came up late last month, after Congress denied the Ukraine yet another stopgap funding measure.
A lot has changed since Sept. 30: The House has lost its speaker and Republicans are in disarray over selecting a new one, and the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel has prompted a much bigger funding request by the White House.
It’s not clear that the $14 billion in border money included as part of the the $106 billion spending package the White House sent to Congress on Friday will placate those who are resisting.
“The border has never been a money issue,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas. “It has always been a policy issue. So we need to get in a room, go to the White House and sort that out.”
The conflict in the Mideast may have pulled some of the spotlight away from the U.S.-Mexico border for now, but the challenges of illegal immigration facing the U.S. are growing increasingly intractable.
Unfortunately, the funding request is not entirely dedicated to borer security, but also providing welfare for illegals and funding for sanctuary cities.
It also suggests $1.4 billion to add 375 immigration judges and their teams in addition to money for 1,300 new border patrol agents.
There is also a $4.4 billion grant for Homeland Security efforts, including increased funding for holding facilities as the administration works to quickly deport those who do not qualify for asylum.
It’s unclear how any spending package can pass. Republicans are already pushing back on using funds to give welfare to illegals already here rather than for limiting those at the border.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
