In an unusual Saturday afternoon address lasting over four hours on the Senate floor, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) argued that elected officials in both parties have failed to make protection of U.S. borders their top priority while working to secure Ukraine’s borders.
Lee’s remarks were part of a “Die-Hards Filibuster” with Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) aiming to force more debate on a $95.3 billion emergency aid package, over $60 billion of which is slated for Ukraine. The bill also includes assistance for Israel and Taiwan. Senate leaders Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) support the proposal.
Paul said Friday he would “force [the Senate] to stay here as long as it takes – a week or a month” to discuss prioritizing the U.S. border over Ukraine’s. Lee and Paul hope to delay a vote scheduled for Sunday afternoon and gain consideration of amendments requiring President Biden to address the over 8 million illegal border crossings since he took office.
Lee condemned the 17 GOP senators who voted Friday with Democrats to limit debate, despite alleged assurances senators could later offer amendments. His speech repeatedly sought unanimous consent to propose amendments, but Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) objected each time.
The Utah senator argued the 17 Republicans betrayed an agreement made last fall that border security provisions ending Biden’s “open border” policies would be included in foreign aid legislation. Compromise provisions offered Sunday by James Lankford (R-Okla.), developed over months with Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), did not go far enough according to Lee.
Lee said the new Ukraine aid comes atop the $113 billion already provided, which he claimed is “roughly double” Russia’s annual defense budget and “20 to 25 times” Ukraine’s. He argued no other nation has spent nearly as much assisting Ukraine.
Among Lee’s rejected amendments was one to return migrant children to home countries safely if no “credible fear of persecution” exists, expedite asylum hearings, and require asylum-seekers to first apply in a safe country en route to the U.S. Another would have barred non-citizens from voting in federal elections.
Lee also sought to require Biden submit a written Ukraine strategy with objectives and timelines before releasing over 2% of the authorized aid. He argued Congress has “blindly spent over $113 billion for Ukraine with no plan.”
The Senate is expected to vote this afternoon on whether to close debate and hold a final vote on the emergency aid package. Lee and Paul’s efforts appear unlikely to substantially delay its passage.