The White House is highlighting fentanyl trafficking at the southern U.S. border in its attempt to convince Republican lawmakers to pass a bipartisan border security bill as soon as it reaches the Senate floor.
Andrew Bates, senior deputy press secretary, argued for GOP lawmakers to save lives over politics. He issued a memo titled, "While President Biden sides with U.S. Border Patrol, congressional Republicans side with fentanyl traffickers."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans for a vote on the bipartisan border security bill on Thursday. The legislation was initially blocked by Republicans three months ago.
On Wednesday, Bates was talking about the choice that Republicans would have to make. "So Congressional Republicans have to choose: will they again decide that politics is more important than stopping fentanyl traffickers and saving the lives of innocent constituents?" he told The Hill.
Senate Republicans have taken a hard stance against the bill and have promised that they would be blocking it. In addition, no Republican senator has openly expressed support for the bill nor given any indication of voting for it, despite the fact that it was already endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Border Patrol Council.
Bates pointed out that the border security bill would pave the way for the availability of machines that would detect the presence of fentanyl in vehicles that cross the order. It would also provide the needed funding to be able to hire new law enforcement personnel at the border.
Aside from outlining what the legislation would do, Bates also emphasized that many Republicans are against the bill simply because former President Donald Trump asked them to oppose it in order top use border security as an election issue.
"What's worse, those Republican members admitted that the bipartisan deal would work; and they admitted that they opposed it sheerly out of politics, saying that Donald Trump pressured them to vote 'no' for his own sake," said Bates.
"And fighting back against the spread of illegal fentanyl is one of many compelling reasons to support the toughest, fairest bipartisan border security legislation in modern history," he said.
Conservatives have already rejected the measure, Fox News reported. Biden already talked with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seeking support for the bill's passage.
