Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and MAGA Republicans in the House never wanted a border bill, David Frum argues Tuesday in The Atlantic. While the bill was being negotiated, Republican-controlled legislatures in Florida, Arkansas, Ohio and Wisconsin have been easing workplace laws on high school-age children, serving as virtual “help-wanted” advertising for immigrants, he writes.
Frum’s comments are in this right column in part because he is a traditional conservative pundit. In his column, he argues that what Johnson and MAGA House members really want is to say “no” to more aid for Ukraine and to refuse compromise with Democrats.
He also quotes this study from the libertarian Cato Institute – one of its three founders in 1974 was Charles Koch – published in November 2023:
“The Biden Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed a higher percentage of arrested border crossers in its first two years than the Trump DHS did over its last two years. Moreover, migrants were more likely to be released after a border arrest under President Trump than under President Biden. In absolute terms, the Biden DHS removed 3.5 times as many people per month as the Trump DHS did.”
“Glowering and yelling does not in fact accomplish much,” Frum writes.
We’re looking for conservative readers to tell us whether Senate and House Republicans should vote for the border bill, and if not, why not? Please email your comments to editors@thehustings.news.
•••
Nevada's GOP Primary and Caucus This Week
Good news for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley: She has a good chance of winning the Nevada GOP primary.
Bad news for Haley: She is not participating in the state’s GOP caucus, which is the only contest awarding delegates to the GOP convention (per Ballotpedia).
Haley is on Nevada’s Tuesday, February 6 primary ballot, which is open only to registered Republicans, and Donald J. Trump is not.
Trump’s campaign is participating in the Thursday, February 8 Nevada caucus along with Create Church co-founder Ryan Brinkley. Haley is not. The caucus will award 26 delegates to the Republican convention. The primary will not.
•••
Should Congress pass the Senate’s bipartisan border security and emergency security funding bill, as outlined in the center column, or should Republicans give in to Donald J. Trump’s opposition and keep the issue alive for the presumed Republican presidential nominee?
Email your comments to editors@thehustings.news and list in the subject line whether you consider yourself conservative or liberal, so we post your civilly expressed thoughts in the appropriate column.