The issue of the southern border was brought up during discussions about Ukraine.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Q. Brown, Jr., gave a classified briefing to the Senate on the situation in Ukraine. The Senate is in the process of determining how they will vote on an aid package for Ukraine. Some in the Senate want to make aid to the warring nation contingent on the administration taking action at the southern border.
During the briefing Senators Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Tom Cotton of Arkansas questioned the military officials about the southern border and the importance of its security.
Senator Cramer said, “I asked General Brown [for] his best military advice. Is supporting Ukraine and Israel important enough that Democrats could at least consider reluctantly supporting some southern border security? He wanted to talk about Ukraine.”
The question led to some heated discussion and reactions from members of the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York claimed certain members were disrespectful of the military officials. He claimed that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky tried to hijack the proceedings.
“The first question — instead of asking our panelists — he called on Lankford to give a five-minute talk about the negotiations on the border, and that wasn’t the purpose of the meeting at all,” said Senator Schumer.
Senator Angus King of Maine said, “Hey, this may not have been the time that I want to discuss this, but it’s an important topic. The president put it on the agenda with the supplemental having border funding. This is the only time we’re all together, so it’s totally legitimate for us to have that discussion.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Austin and General Brown as they provide military information to federal legislators.
- For Senators Schumer and McConnell as they fill their leadership roles in the upper chamber.
- For members of the Senate as they negotiate and determine the appropriations for national defense.
Sources: The Hill, Daily Wire
