Republican Senator Bill Hagerty introduced an amendment that would prevent taxpayer funds from being used to fly illegal aliens from their home countries directly to U.S. towns and cities for resettlement. Every Democratic lawmaker in the Senate voted against the amendment, resulting in its defeat. The move was in response to reports that the Biden administration had flown an estimated 320,000 illegal immigrants to the U.S. in 2023. Hagerty argued that using taxpayer dollars to charter flights for this purpose was indefensible and called for a vote to stop the practice.
Despite all Democrats voting against the amendment, no Republicans did so. The late-night vote on the amendment was part of the Senate’s effort to avoid a government shutdown. Hagerty criticized Democrat Senators for avoiding taking a position on President Biden’s policies and accusing them of preferring to shut down the government rather than face their failures. Ultimately, the government funding bill was passed in the Senate and signed by President Biden, without any of the Republican-backed amendments being approved.
Senator Hagerty’s tweet highlighting how each Democrat voted against his amendment gained significant attention on social media, with over 30 million views. Critics of the Democratic lawmakers’ votes condemned their actions online, with tech billionaire Elon Musk and activist Riley Gaines expressing their dismay. Hagerty responded to Musk’s tweet, accusing Democrats of trying to hide his legislation by scheduling the vote in the middle of the night, similar to a previous vote related to counting illegals in the census.
According to reports, at least 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. under the Biden administration, a number greater than the population of 36 individual states. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has allowed “secret flights” to transport illegal aliens from Latin America to various communities across the country. Around 320,000 migrants were flown to 43 different American airports in 2023 alone, as per the findings of the report published by the Center for Immigration Studies.
Despite the defeat of his amendment, Senator Hagerty remains committed to addressing the issue of taxpayer funds being used to fly illegal aliens into the U.S. for settlement. The ongoing influx of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration’s policies has sparked controversy and raised concerns among lawmakers and the public. The partisan division on this issue highlights the deep divides in Congress over immigration policies and enforcement measures. The passage of the government funding bill without any Republican amendments signifies a missed opportunity for addressing these issues through legislative means.
