The bipartisan "border security bill" that's supposed to come up for a vote this week is already hitting a brick wall. Senate Republicans have expressed opposition, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has already said that the bill in its current form is "dead on arrival" in the House.
My joint statement with @SteveScalise, @GOPMajorityWhip, and @RepStefanik regarding the Senate's immigration bill:
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 5, 2024
House Republicans oppose the Senate immigration bill because it fails in every policy area needed to secure our border and would actually incentivize more illegal…
Schumer is aiming for a Senate vote on Wednesday, so it's worth looking at what makes the bill tick. There's a lot we can criticize about the specific provisions in the bill, but today I want to focus on the funding.
Since politicians from both parties have hailed this legislation as a "border security bill," you'd think that the largest chunk of the funding in the bill would go to the border. Not so fast.
Related: Say Goodbye to America
Let's break down the funding, as Reuters reported it:
In addition to $20.23 billion for border security, the bill included $60.06 billion to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, $2.44 billion to U.S. Central Command and the conflict in the Red Sea, and $4.83 billion to support U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific facing aggression from China, according to figures from Senator Patty Murray, who chairs the Senate's Appropriation Committee.
An additional $10 billion would provide humanitarian assistance for civilians in conflict zones including in Ukraine, Gaza, and the West Bank, although the bill includes a provision barring its funds from going to the U.N. agency for Palestinians, UNRWA. The Biden administration and other nations have paused funding to the agency over allegations that some of its staff were involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel.
Out of $118 billion in funding, only $20.23 billion is allocated for the border. I made a chart breaking it all down; since the totals Reuters listed don't total $118 billion, I added a line item for "Other."
When you break it down by percentages, it's more galling.
The border only makes up 17% of the funds this bill allocates. By contrast, Ukraine gets a little over half the funding, roughly three times the money that's going to the U.S. border. Regardless of how you feel about Ukraine funding, the idea of throwing another $60 billion to Volodymyr Zelenskyy with no accountability is a bad idea. But that's not all.
Israel is getting just over $14 billion, which is the least we could do for an important ally. But another $10 billion is going to Gaza aid, which we all know is likely to fall into the hands of Hamas. Another $4.83 billion goes to fight the conflict in the Red Sea. When you add all of that up, more money is going to the Middle East than to our porous border.
On top of all that, the bill sends a paltry $2.44 billion to our allies who are contending with China. It's like the U.S. is saying, "Oh, you're dealing with the threat of China? [Throws a small bill at the allies.] Here, go buy yourself something pretty with this. We're going to focus on Ukraine."
There's a saying that applies to many situations but seems to ring true here. It goes something like, "You can tell someone's priorities by what they spend the most money on." Witness this bill and its funding.
For nearly two years now, it's been clear that Washington — and especially the Democrats — have favored Ukraine over every other foreign policy initiative. The disproportionate funding for Kyiv in this bill only feeds that narrative. It also shows that the legislators who put this bill together see Ukraine as a greater priority than the security of this nation; otherwise, Zelenskyy wouldn't be getting nearly three times as much money as our border.
Somebody needs to remind everybody that our border crisis is a massive issue that Washington needs to prioritize. If we don't take care of our border, we won't have a nation to defend.
The mainstream press wants to downplay the issue and pretend that it will go away, but it won't. That's why it's important for outlets like PJ Media to sound the alarm and report the truth about what's going on at the border.
If you're a regular reader, you know that you can count on us here at PJ Media to tell the truth and keep you up to date on what's going on in the world. We’re not beholden to billionaire donors, so we have to fight the uphill battle of competing for advertising dollars. That’s why our PJ Media VIPs are so crucial in helping us survive and thrive.
VIPs get access to exclusive content, the comments section, podcasts, and an ad-free experience. If you’ve considered becoming a VIP, there’s never been a better time. You can sign up today with the code SAVEAMERICA for an impressive 50% discount.
The discount allows you to become a VIP for about $2 a month, or you can go for the gold with VIP Gold, which gives you all the VIP goodies across the entire Townhall family of sites, for about $4 a month. It's an excellent opportunity for you to show your support and get some terrific benefits in return — because the truth matters now more than ever.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member