U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) appeared to offer his tepid support for the bipartisan border bill that Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) helped craft and unveiled Sunday. His support is contrasted by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, who may face a three-way race with Gallego and Sinema in November, called the legislation a “slap in the face.”
Shortly after the announcement of the border bill, created in a joint effort that included Senators Sinema, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), Gallego wrote in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the bill should be taken seriously.
“Is this deal perfect? No. That’s the reality of compromise in a divided government,” wrote the Democrat, before declaring, “Anyone who rejects” the Senate bill due to political concerns “isn’t taking this crisis seriously.”
Arizona’s border communities and law enforcement need support. They need resources. They need fixes to a broken system.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) February 5, 2024
After decades of inaction, it’s time to act. Is this deal perfect? No. That’s the reality of compromise in a divided government.
Anyone who rejects it out of…
The claims Sinema advanced in her post have been debunked or are hotly contested by Republicans and border security activists alike, who say the bill fails to end catch-and-release, permits the issuance of more than 50,000 more green cards and work permits, offers work permits to individuals already in the country illegally, provides taxpayer-funded lawyers to some illegal immigrants, and places strict limits on when the federal government can close the border and turn away those seeking to cross illegally.
