Press Release
☷Remarks by President Biden Urging Congress to Pass the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act
White House ( By Press Release office)
Feb 08,2024
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Hey everyone , good afternoon . So , as we all know , the immigration system has been a mess for way too long . It ' s about time we fix it . That ' s why a few months ago , I told my team to start working with a group of senators from both sides of the aisle to get this done . And let me tell you , they ' ve been busting their butts day and night , even during the holidays and weekends . Senators Lankford , Murphy , and Sinema deserve a round of applause for their extraordinary efforts . They ' ve come up with a bipartisan agreement that includes some of the most fair and humane reforms in a long time , as well as the toughest measures to secure our border . But here ' s the thing , this bill might not even make it to the Senate floor . You know why? Because of Donald Trump . Yeah , he thinks it ' s bad for him politically , so he ' s not on board . Instead of actually solving the problem , he ' s just using it as a weapon . And for the past 24 hours , all he ' s been doing is calling up Republicans and trying to scare them into voting against this proposal . And it looks like they ' re giving in . But honestly , they owe it to the American people to stand up and do what they know is right . Let me break down what ' s in this bill and why it has support from everyone , from the Wall Street Journal to the Border Patrol to the Chamber of Commerce . This bill is going to make our country safer , our border more secure , and treat people more humanely and fairly . It ' ll also make legal immigration more efficient and in line with our values and international obligations . And guess what? It ' ll finally provide the funding I ' ve been asking for to actually secure the border . We ' re talking about 1 , 500 more border agents and officers , advanced machines to detect and stop fentanyl , and 100 additional immigration judges to tackle the backlog of asylum cases . Right now , it can take five to seven years for someone to get their asylum claim processed . That ' s just not right or logical . So , this bill would establish a new , fair process for considering asylum claims at the border . We can ' t keep making people wait for years before they even get a shot at being heard . It ' s time for a change . With the new policies in this bill and an additional 4 , 300 asylum officers - who spend a lot of time with each immigrant to consider their claims - we ' ll be able to speed up the process to six months instead of five to seven years . This bipartisan bill will also make it easier for those who are already here and eligible to start working sooner . This is something that governors , mayors , and business leaders all over the country have been asking for . It will also create more opportunities for families to reunite and for businesses to hire more workers . For the first time in 30 years , this bipartisan legislation will increase the number of immigrant visas for those who can legally enter the country through ports of entry . And for the first time , vulnerable young children at the border will have legal representation . This bill would also give me , as President , the authority to temporarily close the border in emergency situations when it becomes overwhelmed . If this bill were law today , it would qualify for a shutdown while we fix it . In short , this bipartisan bill is a victory for America because it addresses important issues in our broken immigration system and is the toughest and fairest law proposed for the border . However , it doesn ' t address everything I wanted . We still need a pathway for those who are already here . We ' re also committed to true immigration reform , including permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for young DREAMers who came here as children and have contributed to our country . But the reforms in this bill are crucial for making our border more organized , humane , and secure . That ' s why even the Border Patrol Union , which endorsed Donald Trump in the last election , supports this bill . These are the people who work tirelessly to secure the border every single day , not just for photo ops like some members of Congress . They put their lives at risk every day , and they believe this bill provides them with the tools they need: more personnel . That ' s also why the U . S . Chamber of Commerce endorses this bill - because they know it ' s not only good for the border , but also for American businesses and the economy . And that ' s why the Wall Street Journal endorsed the bill today with the headline that says , "A Border Security Bill Worth Passing . The Senate Has Reforms Trump Never Came Close to Getting . " That ' s what the Journal said . This bill also takes care of two other important priorities . First , it provides urgent funding for Ukraine . I ' m wearing my Ukraine tie and pin because they ' re going through a tough time right now , defending themselves against the Russian attack . Time is running out . Every week , every month that goes by without new aid to Ukraine means they have fewer resources to defend themselves against Russia . And that ' s exactly what Putin wants . Ukrainians are fighting bravely . I know many of you have followed my efforts to support them for a long time . I brought together a coalition of over 50 nations to help them . I even expanded NATO ' s size when I came into office . We can ' t abandon them now . That ' s exactly what Putin is hoping for . Supporting this bill means standing up to Putin . Opposing it means playing into his hands . As I ' ve said before , the stakes in this fight go beyond Ukraine . If we don ' t stop Putin ' s hunger for power in Ukraine , he won ' t stop there . And the consequences for America and our allies will be even greater . For those Republicans in Congress who think they can oppose funding for Ukraine without facing consequences , history is watching . History is watching . Failing to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten . The position of the MAGA Republicans can be summed up by the New York Times headline: "First . . . " . That ' s the headline . It says , "Trump First . Putin Second . America Third . " That can ' t happen . This bipartisan agreement also gives Israel what it needs to protect its people and defend itself against Hamas terrorists . And it provides crucial humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people . By opposing this bill , they ' re denying aid to those who are truly suffering and in desperate need . There ' s still more work to be done to get this bill across the finish line . And let me be clear: Doing nothing is not an option . Republicans have to make a decision . They ' ve been saying for years that they want to secure the border . Well , now they have the strongest border bill this country has ever seen . We ' re hearing statements about how many people oppose the bill now . Listen , I get it . The former President is desperately trying to stop this bill because he ' s not interested in actually solving the border problem . He just wants something to use against me in politics . They ' ve pretty much admitted that , across the board . I don ' t think anyone denies that . The American people want a solution that actually puts an end to all the empty political talk that hasn ' t done anything for so long . We need to get the resources to the border and get the job done . So , Republicans have to decide: Are they serving Donald Trump or the American people? Are they here to solve problems or just use those problems for political gain? I know where I stand . I serve the American people and I ' m here to solve problems . It wasn ' t that long ago that Republicans were asking for this exact bill to deal with the border , support Ukraine , and Israel . And now , they ' re saying "Never mind . " We need to move past this toxic politics . It ' s time to stop playing games while the world is waiting and watching . And believe me , the world is waiting and watching . We can ' t let petty partisan politics get in the way of our responsibility . We ' re a great nation , but we ' re not acting like it . So , I ' m calling on Congress to pass this bill and get it to my desk right away . But if it fails , I want to be clear about something: The American people will know why it failed . I ' ll be taking this issue to the country , and the voters will know that just when we were about to secure the border and fund these programs , Trump and the MAGA Republicans said no because they ' re afraid of Donald Trump . Every day until November , the American people will know that the only reason the border isn ' t secure is because of Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends . It ' s time for Republicans in Congress to show some courage and make it clear that they work for the American people and no one else . I know who I work for . I work for the American people . In moments like this , we need to remember who we are as a country . We ' re the United States of America . I ' ve said it many times: There ' s nothing we can ' t do if we do it together . We ' re so close to doing it together . I hope and pray they find a reason to reconsider blowing this up . May God bless you all and may God protect our troops . Now , you ' re going to ask me questions , but hold on a second . I ' ll be back on Thursday , and I don ' t want to say anything that might affect the ongoing negotiations , so I won ' t be answering any questions about this . I ' ll be back on Thursday to hang out with you and answer any questions you have about this issue . Thanks . Q: Can we ask you about the hostage deal , sir? ( Cross - talk . ) Q: What needs to happen for the hostage deal to be resolved , sir? THE PRESIDENT: This actually has a lot to do with the hostage deal and what ' s happening in the Middle East - the decision on what we do about Israel , the decision on what we do in terms of American funding and whether we ' re going to get involved in the situation in Ukraine . It all comes down to American power . It all comes down to whether America keeps its word and moves forward . There ' s been some progress , and I don ' t want to - well , let me choose my words carefully . There ' s been some movement - there ' s been a response from Hamas , but it seems a bit excessive . We ' re not exactly sure where things stand . The negotiation is ongoing . Q: If this bill fails , would you consider supporting something separate that just deals with Israel or Ukraine? THE PRESIDENT: I ' m not ready to agree to that right now . We need it all . The rest of the world is watching us , and they really are . Thank you . 1:30 P . M . EST .
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