Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced his support for the bipartisan border deal released this week, calling the crisis at the southern border the “most dangerous threat facing our country today.”
“The southern border is the most dangerous threat facing our country today, and Congress has an obligation to step up and fix it,” Manchin said in a statement on Tuesday.
“I commend my Democratic and Republican friends in the Senate for considering our input when working together to craft a bipartisan bill that will immediately shut down the southern border and send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will be sent home.”
On Sunday, the Senate released a bipartisan bill that would increase border security and would also provide aid to Ukraine and Israel after months of negotiation with the White House and Senate Republicans.
Some Senate Republicans are attempting to block the bill from moving forward when it comes to a vote on Wednesday, advocating amendments and changes during a closed-door meeting on Monday evening. House Republican leadership strongly rejected the bill and vowed to kill it upon arrival to their chamber.
Manchin urged lawmakers from both parties to come together on the topic to pass the legislation.
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“I support this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues — Republicans and Democrats — to consider the facts and do the same,” Manchin added. “The status quo is not sustainable. We cannot let extreme partisan politics undermine our national security. We cannot wait another day, let alone an election season, to fix this most serious problem.”
The 370-page bill included $118.3 billion in total funding. Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) led the negotiations, agreeing to include $60 billion for Ukraine and $20 billion for U.S. border security, plus granting President Joe Biden’s request for $14 million to help Israel in its war in Gaza.
