Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday argued the Biden administration’s policies on the U.S. southern border “bit them in the ass,” calling the border a “national security nightmare.”
“Our border is a national security nightmare,” Graham said in an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.” “[The Biden administration] chose bad policies. It’s bit them in the ass, and we’re not going to continue these stupid policies. We’re going to change them.”
Border security remains at the center of negotiations between the Senate and the White House as the upper chamber seeks to strike a potential deal to unlock aid for Ukraine, Israel and border security measures.
Republican lawmakers have largely resisted the White House’s original supplemental request, arguing border security measures need to be stricter if paired with aid for Ukraine and Israel. The White House warned earlier this month that aid for Ukraine will run out by the end of this year if Congress doesn’t take action.
“The White House got engaged five days ago. They sent over a supplemental with border security provisions that did nothing to change policy. We’ve been talking to them since September. Five days ago, they finally sat at the table,” Graham said, adding that lawmakers feel like they are “being jammed.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was among a group of top White House officials to meet with Senate negotiators last week.
Graham said negotiations will stretch into next year despite some lawmakers’ claims talks are progressing.
“We’re not anywhere close to a deal, it’ll go into next year,” Graham said. “The policy choices of the Biden administration [have] made the border a dangerous place to come to.”
To make his case for heightened border security provisions, Graham pointed to warnings from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who spoke of a heightened threat environment in the U.S. since the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel that left about 1,200 people dead, including hundreds of civilians.
“Since October the 7th, jihadist groups want to attack us because we’re helping Israel. I’ve never been more worried about a 9/11 than I am right now, and our border has been obliterated. And we’re not going to give in on some Band-Aid fix,” Graham said.
Asked to characterize the reported “progress” in negotiations, Graham said, “The only way we’re ever going to get a [secure] border is we’ve got to make them do things they don’t want to do, but they’re getting there. It was a choice by the Biden administration to change policy that led to this debacle.”
Graham said there is progress on negotiations for stricter asylum rules, one of the various proposals in discussion. Republicans have suggested measures like Title 42, which would permit the U.S. to suspend processing asylum claims, and for authorities to expel migrants if a certain number of illegal border crossings is reached per day.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.