Reps. Donalds, Waltz: Omnibus Removes 'Leverage' for Republicans to Secure the Border

(CNSNews.com) – Republicans must make border security their top priority in the next Congress, but passage of the massive omnibus spending bill — which does nothing to secure the open southwest border — may undermine their efforts, two Republican congressmen told Fox News Thursday night.

“House Republicans are going to be hamstrung by this spending bill,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said.

“Because What are the leverage points to require the Biden administration to actually secure the border? Number one, give border agents the ability to make credible threats of fear at the border. Number two, don’t allow people to make asylum claims at the southern border. 

“If you do those two things, that will actually limit the capabilities of people to use the drug cartels to come in to the United States. But It’s not a good situation. In part media, and you have senate Republicans then passing this omnibus deal with the Democrats, have really put us behind the eight ball about what to do with border security.” 

Donalds said the “big media” has largely ignored the story, until after the election, that is.

The omnibus spending bill enshrines mostly Democrat priorities through the next fiscal year. Donald said the only other bargaining chip he sees is the debt ceiling issue:

“The next big vehicle in my view that’s going to come across might be the debt ceiling, that might be the next big one. Whatever that leverage is, whatever that lever is in Congress, we need to make sure that we make border security the number one thing that’s on the agenda.”

Donalds said “immigration reform” is not the immediate issue, as Democrats claim.

“It is about securing the border,” he said.” [T]he drug cartels are going to make $15 billion this year trafficking people and fentanyl into the United States of America. It is unconscionable. And we must stand with whatever that lever is, we need to use it to make sure we secure the homeland here in the United States.”

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), appearing with Donalds on Fox News, said, “I agree with everything Representative Donalds said, but I think we need to take things even a step further. We need to designate these cartels that are behind all of it as either a terrorist organization or terrorist-lite organization.” 

“We need to put sanctions on these companies that we know are producing fentanyl as part of their asymmetric warfare to kill Americans, working with national criminal organizations, including the Mexican cartels. That’s step two. 

“And personally as a member of the Armed Services Committee, as a veteran, we need to use military assets. I’m not talking boots on the ground, but cyber, space assets and other things we can be doing to jam the cartels, disrupt their organization, go after their money, and shut them down. We did it years ago to the cartels in Colombia, and we can do it again if we have the will. 

“And then finally, there is going to be a North American Leaders Summit on January 9th and 10th with (Canadian Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau, Biden and (Mexican) President Obrador. 

“That is an opportunity right there to put Mexico on notice that they need to put their national guard on their southern border, stop shifting these migrants through to create our problem and that we’re going to put ‘remain in Mexico’ back in place.

“I doubt we’re going to see that from Biden, but all three will be sitting down. Justin Trudeau is talking about electric vehicles and climate. We have to talk about the humanitarian crisis. January 9th and 10th, North American Leaders Summit, called the “three amigos” summit. But we’ll see what Biden does.”

So far, Biden has done nothing but support the lifting of Title 42, the public health measure that is used to immediately expel some of the many migrants illegally crossing the border.

Biden hasn’t been to the border, nor has he spoken about the accelerating humanitarian crisis, except to tell reporters a few weeks ago, “There’s more important things going on.” 

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