Senate Republicans rejected the most conservative immigration policy bill in recent decades Wednesday. Just four of them voted for the combined border security and Ukraine aid package.
And South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham was not one of them.
Graham had argued in favor of the deal just days before on Fox News. He said it would bring “real change” immigration laws and stem border crossings.
“I hope people keep an open mind,” Graham said Sunday, before he voted against the bill on Wednesday.
Now the Senate is set up to pass the supplemental aid bill to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan without the border provisions. What does the bill need to include to pass muster with Graham? Border security. You’ll really can’t make this shit up.
Let’s rewind four months, to the initial supplemental request from President Joe Biden—the one they’ve been fighting over all this time. What did it have? Almost $14 billion for border security, which would have paid for an additional 1,300 border patrol agents; 1,600 new asylum officers; 375 new judge teams; and $1.2 billion devoted to counter fentanyl.
But that wasn’t good enough for Graham.
“This is about securing our border so we can then help our allies,” he said in December. He said he didn’t want to have to “try to explain why I helped Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel and did nothing to secure our own border. I will help all of our allies, but we have got to help ourselves first.”
As far as Graham is concerned, it’s more like he has to help Donald Trump first.
RELATED STORIES:
Senate Republican faction tries to poison Ukraine aid
Republicans are threatening to purge anyone who isn’t MAGA
Sunday Four-Play: Lindsey Graham admits there's no 'smoking gun' in GOP's fake impeachment push
Campaign Action