Senate Republicans sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday, urging him to expand construction of the wall along the southern border and resubmit a supplemental funding request to Congress to obtain the funds to do it.
The 13-member group's letter, led by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., acknowledged Biden's announcement earlier this month to renew construction of 20 miles of border wall in Starr County, Texas, but said that "more must be done to deter unfettered illegal immigration."
"Your administration's decision to continue construction of the Trump Administration's physical border wall is a step in combating 'high illegal entry' rates. With that, more must be done," they wrote.
The Biden administration announced Oct. 4 that it was waiving 26 federal laws to allow construction of the wall, citing "an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers." In the face of backlash from progressives, the administration then said there's "no new policy" about border walls, saying Biden's hands were tied with appropriations from the Trump administration that had to be spent for the purpose of building a wall.
"This Administration believes that effective border security requires a smarter and more comprehensive approach, including state-of the-art border surveillance technology and modernized ports of entry. We need Congress to give us the funds to implement these proven tools," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas wrote.
Senate Republicans disagree.
"While technology can be deployed as a useful tool on our southern border, it does not act as a physical deterrent that is required, both under the law and in the full reality of the crises that continue," they wrote Thursday.
In fact, the 13 are urging Biden to resubmit his August 2023 funding request "to specifically include additional resources for construction."
"Under the current proposal, approximately 20 miles of border wall will be established," they wrote. "However, more must be done to deter unfettered illegal immigration, which is continuing at a record-breaking pace. If we are to ensure the safety of American communities, more miles of border wall must be constructed."
In addition to Rubio, GOP Sens. Rick Scott, Tommy Tuberville, Mike Braun, Kevin Cramer, Dan Sullivan, Cynthia Lummis, Katie Boyd Britt, Bill Cassidy, Mitt Romney, Steve Daines, Deb Fischer and John Hoeven signed the letter.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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