Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Republicans’ Hard-Right Border Demands Holding Up The Urgently Needed Bipartisan National Security Supplemental Package
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the urgent need to pass a bipartisan supplemental package to provide crucial aid to our allies and protect our national security. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
America’s national security is on the line around the world – in Europe, in the Middle East, in the Indo-Pacific. Autocrats and radical extremists are waging war against democracy, against our values, against our way of life.
Before the year is out, it’s important for the Senate to pass an emergency national security supplemental package providing aid to Ukraine, to Israel, humanitarian aid to innocent civilians in Gaza, and deterrence against adversaries in the Indo-Pacific. Both parties understand the consequences will be severe if we fail. Just this morning, OMB Director Shalanda Young warned Congressional leaders that absent action from Congress, funding to help Ukraine will run out by the end of the year.
Alarmingly, progress on the national security package has been on ice for weeks. Not because Republicans have objected to Israel aid or aid to Ukraine or humanitarian aid to innocent civilians in Gaza, or the Indo-Pacific, but because Republicans have injected partisan and extreme immigration measures into the debate.
Let me repeat that: the holdup on the security supplemental has not been over Ukraine or Israel or the Indo-Pacific, but over Republicans’ decision to inject hard-right immigration measures into the debate.
Democrats agree that immigration should be debated and addressed. But if Republicans want to raise the issue of immigration right now, the onus is on them to present us with bipartisan ideas.
Democrats have spent weeks, weeks, engaging in good faith on this issue.
In fact, the president’s supplemental proposal puts money directly towards vetting asylum claims, reducing court backlogs, stopping fentanyl, which is exactly what our Republican colleagues say they want. But instead of meeting us in the middle, Republicans have tripled down on extremist policies that seem dictated by Donald Trump and Stephen Miller, like indefinite detention of asylum seekers, sweeping powers to shut down the immigration system.
Democrats want to be reasonable on immigration, and we are willing to make concessions. But we will not keep going in circles if Republicans aren’t interested in even meeting us halfway.
Now, just because both sides can’t reach an agreement does not mean that we can’t get something done. But it must be broadly bipartisan. Neither side can dictate what can be in the bill, which is what many of our Republican colleagues seem to want.
The two parties don’t disagree seriously on Israel, or on Ukraine aid, or humanitarian assistance to Gaza, or the Indo-Pacific. We should therefore work towards passing these areas where we have bipartisan agreement.
The world is watching what we do in Congress these coming weeks. You can bet Vladimir Putin is watching. Hamas is watching. Iran, President Xi, North Korea – all our adversaries, they are watching closely.
If Congress fails to defend democracy in its hour of need – all because of border policies inspired by Donald Trump and Stephen Miller – the judgment of history will be harsh indeed.
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