'A Disqualifying Betrayal': Senator Mike Lee Doesn't Hold Back On Border Bill, Demands 'NEW LEADERSHIP NOW'

On Sunday evening, the Senate unveiled the "bipartisan" border deal that has been under negotiation for four months to attempt to fix the widening border crisis created by President Joe Biden's inaction. The legislation, which was crafted by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Kristen Sinema (I-AZ), has been blasted for being weak on securing the southern border. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) took particular offense to the bill, calling it a "disqualifying betrayal."

"Senate GOP leadership screwed this up—and screwed us," Lee wrote. "Even while refusing to let us see the bill they claimed to be negotiating on our behalf—for MONTHS—they were never in doubt, insisting we'd be dumb and even unpatriotic NOT to support it. This is a disqualifying betrayal."

"This is worse than bad negotiation. It's betrayal. The Senate GOP can still stop it if 41 will stand together," Lee added in reference to the number of senators needed to filibuster the legislation. "If you had a lawyer, agent, or employee who (while negotiating on your behalf) botched a deal as badly as Senate GOP leadership botched this border / supplemental aid package, would you immediately fire that person?" Lee asked his 169,000 followers in a poll, 98 percent of whom responded 'Yes.'

"This feels like an elaborate practical joke. But it’s not funny. Not one bit. I cannot understand how any Republican would think this was a good idea—or anything other than an unmitigated disaster," Lee explained. "WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP — NOW."

Senator Lee's staffers have also been on the offense against the bill, with one of Lee's aides reportedly calling the bill a "betrayal" during a Senate GOP communication directors meeting on Monday morning with Sen. Lankford's staff.

House GOP leadership has also soundly rejected the bill with a joint statement from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Republican Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), and Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY). "Among its many flaws, the bill expands work authorizations for illegal aliens while failing to include critical asylum reforms. Even worse, its language allowing illegals to be 'released from physical custody' would effectively endorse the Biden' catch and release' policy," House leadership explained in a statement.

"The so-called 'shutdown' authority in the bill is anything but, riddled with loopholes that grant far too much discretionary authority to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas - who has proven he will exploit every measure possible, in defiance of the law, to keep the border open," the House GOP leaders explained. "The bill also fails to adequately stop the President's abuse of parole authority and provides for taxpayer funds to fly and house illegal immigrants in hotels through the FEMA Shelter and Services Program."

"America's sovereignty is at stake," they continued. "Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time. It is DEAD on arrival in the House. We encourage the U.S. Senate to reject it."

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