Congressman Meuser Statement on Border Security and Foreign Aid Supplemental Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) issued the below statement following the House's consideration of border security and foreign aid supplemental bills.

Regarding Border Security

"Since taking office in January of 2021, the Biden Administration has taken actions to undermine our domestic security while displaying weakness and indecision on the global stage. Whether it's the Biden open border policies and the ensuing crises in our families and communities or the unjust attacks on Ukraine and Israel, the Biden Administration has repeatedly demonstrated it's not up to the challenge of keeping America and her allies safe.

"First and foremost, the U.S. border. It was made clear that any aid for Ukraine would be paired with border security. It regrettably was not. A border security bill was brought to the floor this weekend, which I supported, but it was overwhelmingly blocked by Democrats in the House. Since Biden took office more than 10 million illegal aliens have crossed our border, including terrorists, gang members, and murderers. Fentanyl, the leading cause of death of our young people, is being made in China and shipped across our porous southern border, wreaking havoc and destruction in our communities. With their votes against border security legislation last week, Congressional Democrats affirmed they are okay with these consequences of Biden's Border Crisis."

Regarding Ukraine

"I am fully supportive of the Ukrainian people's efforts against Russia's invasion led by the war criminal Vladimir Putin, and I continue to support the provision of necessary defense articles to safeguard Ukraine's freedom. I also believe the U.S. aid to Ukraine should be strictly military aid. Unfortunately, in addition to not including strong border security, the supplemental funding legislation for Ukraine contained $10 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars for "economic assistance" to be paid directly to the Ukrainian government without robust accountability measures.

"Lastly, the EU and other allies have not maintained the same level of parity of funding as the U.S. taxpayer. The numbers show with the passage of this legislation, the US will now have provided $140 billion to Ukraine, while the EU, with comparable aggregate GDP, has contributed only $75 billion. That is not fair to American taxpayers and needs to be addressed. My vote reflected my support for Ukraine, but I could not support the overall legislation because of these flaws.

"Let's be clear, the Biden Administration's continued attacks on American energy have enriched our adversaries, including Russia and Iran, thereby freeing up their ability to bankroll their unjust wars against Ukraine and Israel. The Administration's refusal to enforce Iranian oil sanctions has allowed the regime to fund its terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East and bolster its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The Biden Administration's repeated attacks on domestic energy production, including the recent 'pause' on new LNG export terminals, have damaged U.S. credibility and aided the Russian energy industry. Competent leaders can protect our border and aid our allies."

Regarding Israel

"I strongly support the $4 billion allocation for Israel's crucial missile defense systems, including funds for the Iron Dome and David's Sling, the $1.2 billion for Iron Beam, as well as the $3.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Israel to acquire U.S. weapons. These funds are essential for Israel's security and stability against threats from Iran, its proxies, Hezbollah, and Hamas.

"However, I am very concerned with the allocation of $9.1 billion designated for USAID's International Disaster Assistance, which could potentially allocate more aid to Gaza than Israel. To address this issue, this supplemental bill contains rigorous oversight measures concerning the distribution of resources, especially those going to Gaza. The Israel supplemental bill outlines that both USAID and the State Department must provide Congress with a detailed oversight strategy and spending plan within 15 days of the bill's passage.

"This bill requires agencies to frequently update Congress regarding any incidents of aid diversion, misappropriation, or damage. It also mandates in person third-party monitoring. These steps are essential in achieving transparency and conducting rigorous oversight, while ensuring aid paid with American taxpayer dollars do not end up in the pockets of our adversaries. I will continue to strongly advocate for great transparency and oversight for all supplies and humanitarian assistance to Gaza."

Regarding the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act

"Lastly, the House also passed the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act which contains multiple bills to impose punitive sanctions on Russia, China, and Iran. My goal is and always has been to use all tools available to punish Putin. I cosponsored the REPO Act, which uses seized Russian assets to pay for Ukraine aid, continuing to punish Putin while not costing taxpayers a dime. I support creative ways to continue to squeeze the Russian war machine through effective sanctions.

"For that reason, I also support the SHIP Act, which rightly targets Iranian funding through petroleum sanctions. President Trump understood this, and we need to return to the strong foreign policy we had before President Biden took office. Energy, defense, and our financial markets are a few of America's strongest tools that we can use to fight back against Iran, Russia, and China. As President Biden continues pursue his failed policy of appeasing our adversaries, we must use the successful policies President Trump implemented to return to a place of strength on the world stage. I am glad to see both included in the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act."

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.