Florida’s GOP senators and representatives reject Senate border deal: ‘Reads like a parody’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Florida’s two Republican senators rejected the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan package that includes funding for border security, along with billions more in aid to other countries.

The bill totals $118 billion and includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $20 billion for the U.S. border, $14 billion for Israel, $10 billion for Gaza and billions more for other regions.

Sen. Rick Scott slammed the bill after Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said under the proposal, “the border never closes.”

“This is not a border security bill,” Scott said.

Murphy said that the legislation creates a “brand new right to legal representation for all immigrants,” citing legal representation troubles for those impacted by the Trump administration’s prior travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.

“Not allowed to close the border, but YOU are now paying for lawyers to represent illegal aliens unlawfully crossing the border,” Scott said. “That’s how this bill uses your tax dollars.”

Sen. Marco Rubio denounced it as well, calling it an “easy NO.”

“It reads like a parody of an actual border security bill,” Rubio said.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shot the bill down, saying it’s dead on arrival if it clears the Senate and reaches the House.

“This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created,” Johnson said. “As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, ‘the border never closes.'”

President Joe Biden recently said he backs the Senate deal, which rather than totally shut off the border, simply ensures that migrants are “processed” without being detained.

Former President Donald Trump came out in opposition to the deal Monday morning.

“Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill, which only gives Shutdown Authority after 5000 Encounters a day, when we already have the right to CLOSE THE BORDER NOW, which must be done,” Trump said.

Florida Republican representatives also derided the proposal after its announcement.

“The awful $118 billion Senate Bill would actually worsen the invasion at our border by incentivizing illegal entry of 5,000 per day and giving away U.S. work permits to those claiming asylum,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis said. “The president already has the authority to close the border today by enforcing existing laws and reversing the 64 actions he has taken since coming to office that have exacerbated the problem.”

“The bill would also exacerbate our financial problems by sending more hard-earned tax dollars to Ukraine with zero accountability on how they will be used,” he said. “Thankfully, this plan is dead on arrival in the House. We will not compromise when it comes to national security and will keep working to deliver the America First agenda our constituents demand.”

“We will kill this Senate bill,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said.

Gaetz pointed out that the bill text would hamper future presidents’ authority in handing the border by codifying certain policies, such as catch-and-release.

“The Senate Amnesty Bill literally would force President Trump to let in illegals well into his term,” Gaetz said. “Any Republican who votes for this is no better than a Democrat!”

“I will not support this amnesty bill,” Rep. Cory Mills said. “We will kill this bill in the House. The Senate should pass H.R. 2, enforce the laws on the books, and Biden should use his unilateral executive authority (212 Section F) that permits the border closure immediately.”

“The Senate bill is awful!” Rep. Byron Donalds said. “There have to be 41 Republican Senators who will say NO to this monstrosity.”

The Senate is set to vote on the measure by the middle of this week.