Supplemental Will Address Security Challenges Directly

Floor Speech

"Four years ago, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination, President Biden promised his base functionally open borders. Quote: "I would in fact make sure that… we immediately surge to the border, all those people who are seeking asylum.' That was President Biden as he took office.

Three years ago, as people surged to the border, they insisted that the President had told them to come. And by his actions, we know that they were exactly right.

The Biden Administration invited a crisis at our southwest border. In the tradition of Washington Democrats dating back decades, they chose an issue over its solution. And then, they made it worse.

The President of the United States threw out essential border security tools like "Remain in Mexico,' froze new funds for commonsense measures like border wall construction, and abandoned the brave men and women of CBP and ICE to clean up his mess.

President Biden's border crisis has upended life in communities across America. Flows of deadly fentanyl have snuffed out precious lives in states like Kentucky. Catch-and-release has confronted even the bluest so-called "sanctuary cities' with the harsh realities of unchecked illegal migration.

And for three years, the President and his Administration have tried to convince the American people not to believe their own eyes. They tried in vain to pretend that we weren't facing a crisis.

But the country knows better. This is a humanitarian and security crisis of historic proportions. And Senate Republicans have insisted -- not just for months, but for years -- that this urgent crisis demanded action.

Three months ago, we asked our colleague Senator Lankford to lead that action. In just the time since Washington Democrats finally decided to join him at the negotiating table, the President's border crisis made history all over again.

December saw the highest daily and monthly tallies of illegal border crossings ever on record. The crisis had literally never been worse.

This is the reality as the Senate begins careful consideration of the border security agreement announced last night.

The gaping hole in our nation's sovereign borders on President Biden's watch is not going to heal itself. And the crater of American credibility after three years of the President's foreign policy will not repair itself, either.

Today, our adversaries are emboldened. As terrorists and authoritarian thugs challenge the strongest military in the world, our Commander-in-Chief is hesitant and self-deterred.

It's long past time for the President to demonstrate more resolve and start imposing decisive costs on those who dare to attack America.

And it's now time for Congress to take action on supplemental national security legislation that finally meets those challenges head-on.

I've spoken at length for months about the urgent need to invest in American hard power, stand with our allies, and start showing our adversaries that the world's foremost superpower intends to start acting like one, again.

My colleagues know where I stand. They know as well as I do that America's adversaries in Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran are working together to undermine us.

And they know that the time has finally come for the Senate to respond with strength.

The national security legislation we're preparing to take up will invest heavily in the capabilities and capacity America and our allies need regain the upper hand over this emerging axis of authoritarians.

Make no mistake: the gauntlet has been thrown. And America needs to pick it up."

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