As America grapples with the resurgence of authoritarian aggression abroad and chaos at our southern border, we stand at a crossroads.
The American-led security framework that has existed for nearly a century is under threat and at risk of collapse. In Eastern Europe, brave Ukrainian soldiers are on the front lines of democracy’s battle against Putin’s authoritarian regime in Russia. America’s military support, along with aid from our European allies, has been crucial for Ukrainians in fending off a violation of their sovereignty and the most aggressive push for territorial expansion in Europe since World War II.
Sadly, after months of inaction in Congress, the tides are turning against our allies. One of us recently visited the war zone in Ukraine and can attest that Ukrainian troops are rationing their dwindling rounds as their supplies run dry. The recent fall of the city of Avdiivka to Russian forces has dealt a major blow to Ukrainian morale.
Meanwhile, an unprecedented crisis is going unaddressed at our southern border. A record 250,000 migrant encounters in December 2023 alone presents humanitarian and security challenges. Control of its borders is a primary responsibility of every nation, necessary for stability and order. Addressing this crisis would protect Americans from fentanyl-dealing cartels and other criminals that could use chaos at the border to their advantage.
Should we fail to meet our moment on either front, we would be sending a dangerous message to the world: that American resolve is too weak to support our allies abroad or secure our own border at home. It would signal to hostile, restive world powers that their time has come.
Moscow has made no secret that its military aggression will not end in Ukraine, with NATO ally Estonia recently fending off a Russian hybrid operation. We would rather send American arms to Ukraine today to stop Russia in its tracks, than risk a future Congress having to consider whether to send young Americans to fight and die on European fields yet again.
That’s why we are calling on Congress to pass, through any means necessary, our bipartisan Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act. Our bill would provide $47.69 billion to support the defense of Ukraine, plus an additional $18.63 billion to support our allies in Israel and the Indo-Pacific, who face adversaries hostile to America’s security and position as a global power.
The U.S. investment in Ukraine and other allies yields other dividends, namely the money spent by Congress flows directly into America’s economy, stimulating production at manufacturing facilities where highly skilled American workers make weapons and ammunition. As a result, America gets jobs and Ukraine gets ammunition. This cycle is revitalizing our military industrial base, leaving us in a stronger position in a changing world.
For our own security, the legislation would restore the “Remain in Mexico” policy and grant expulsion authorities to enable Border Patrol to get our border back under control.
Remain in Mexico has been dragged through the partisan mud, but it is not a Trump policy or a Biden policy. It’s a congressional policy. Congress needs to own our policymaking responsibilities, not cede authority to the president. This bill would clarify this policy as the law of the land for the next year, making it an optional policy no more. The resumption of Title 42 expulsion authority, absent since the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended, is also a necessary tool given the volume of traffic at the border. These are commonsense steps towards reclaiming control over our own borders.
In this moment of global and domestic uncertainty, the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act offers the only viable, bipartisan path forward for reaffirming America’s role as a defender of democracy and a guardian of its own sovereignty. The time has come to put aside the partisan games and safeguard the international peace our Greatest Generation fought to establish. We call on our colleagues in Congress to pass this vital legislation, for the sake of both our international allies and the security of our nation.
Brian Fitzpatrick represents Pennsylvania’s 1st District and Jared Golden represents Maine’s 2nd District.