VIDEO: Democrats Must Join Republicans and Fund Border Patrol and ICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) called on Democrats to join Republicans in voting to fund the U.S. Border Patrol andU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ricketts discussed how the failureto fund these agencies threatens our national security. Ricketts voted to begin debate on this narrow legislation this afternoon.
“To protect Americans and our national security, we must fund Border Patrol and ICE. Senate Republicans have a narrow bill to do this. Our bill only funds Border Patrol and ICE. Senate Democrats refuse to vote for it, putting every American at risk,” Ricketts said. “Democrats cannot delay this vote any longer. We must get this done for the American people. Everything else is a distraction.”
Watch the full video here.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “I have another matter I’m going to talk about: the work that needs to be done on the Senate floor today.
“To protect Americans and our national security, we must fund Border Patrol and ICE.
“Senate Republicans have a narrow bill to do this.
“Our bill only funds Border Patrol and ICE.
“Senate Democrats refused to vote for it, putting every American at risk.
“They are falling back on the typical defund police agenda and lack of support for law enforcement.
“Their refusal is a clear threat to our national security.
“Democrats stood by while President Biden and his open border policies allowed every state to become a border state, putting communities across America, including Nebraska, at risk.
“They released at least 99 illegal aliens on the terrorist watch list into American communities, including three with potential ISIS ties.
“They have prioritized the care of illegal immigrants over Americans.
“Let me give you two examples.
“When Laken Riley, a 22-year-old college student, was murdered by an illegal immigrant, Republicans introduced legislation to make sure no other families had to live through the same tragedy as Laken’s family had to live through.
“The legislation was common sense.
“If an illegal immigrant breaks the law, they had to be held accountable, and ICE had to do their job in picking that person up.
“A majority of Democrats refused to support this common-sense solution.
“When our brave troops successfully captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, Democrats were more concerned about the operation than national security.
“Maduro is a narco-terrorist, responsible for the deaths of countless Americans.
“He was a puppet of our adversaries, like Communist China, Russia, and Iran.
“Simply put, he was a threat to our national security.
“Capturing him was a win for Americans and our national security.
“Democrats didn’t see it that way.
“The reality, though, is that President Trump campaigned on securing the border.
“He won an overwhelming majority of votes from Americans.
“The American people voted for stronger national security.
“Republicans have worked with this administration to secure the border and deliver for the American people.
“To maintain this strong national security, we need to fund ICE and Border Patrol.
“I am ready to vote with my Senate Republican colleagues today.
“Democrats cannot delay this vote any longer.
“We must get this done for the American people.
“Everything else is a distraction.”