By Lucky Kidd
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall M.D. (R-KS) talked about border security as it relates to a four-pronged “puzzle” promoted by President Biden in a news conference with Kansas reporters Thursday, which all 49 Republicans voted against Wednesday night.
Marshall said that “puzzle” (as proposed) is impossible to solve.
“It’s mostly a Ukraine funding bill. There’s a little bit of money for Taiwan, a little bit for Israel, and essentially no border security,” the senator told reporters, adding that what is in that bill mainly continues a “catch and release” policy as it relates to illegal immigrants.
Senator Marshall said much of what the Biden administration is seeking would be focused on people who cross the border claiming they seek asylum, which under current policy they can do if they have traveled through a third country before entering the United States, such as people from South American coming through Mexico.
Marshall said the view of Republican Senators is simply this. “Unless we have meaningful border security, then there is no reason to talk about funding for Ukraine.”
On the subject of Ukraine, Marshall said a lot of that situation is rooted in President Biden’s withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which he said gave Russian leader Vladimir Putin a green light to move against Ukraine.
Marshall said if the four components of Biden’s proposal were to be separated out, there would be an increased likelihood that some of them might get the 60 votes that would be needed for Senate passage. In particular, funding for Israel and Taiwan might be able to reach that threshold.
You can hear the Senator’s complete remarks from the news conference Sunday morning on Ad Astra Radio. This will air at 6:15 Sunday morning on Ad Astra’s Hutchinson and McPherson stations, at 7:15 on Smoky Hills Rock 95.5, and around 7:20 on our Larned stations.
