Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says potential House legislation that reinstates "Remain in Mexico" and Title 42 policies at the southern border could be a way to get military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Graham appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, two weeks after the Senate announced a bipartisan bill that addressed border security and foreign aid. However, the legislation was "dead on arrival" in the House due to its failure to adequately address the migrant crisis, according to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
The Democrat-led Senate on Tuesday then passed a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan. A $66.3 billion bipartisan House bill to fund military aid to those countries and tighten border security was unveiled Friday.
Graham, who voted against both Senate bills, said Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are discussing a deal that reinstates Remain in Mexico, which required asylum seekers to stay south of the border until their immigration hearings, and Title 42, which allowed curbs on migration in the name of protecting public health.
"They've got a pretty creative idea," Graham told "Face the Nation" host Robert Costa. "Here's what they're saying: Go back to Remain in Mexico as a border security policy, and that was the No. 1 request of the border patrol on our visit to Texas.
"Secondly, to reinstitute Title 42. Those two things on the border I think simple, will work, and they want to slim down the aid package to $60 billion, all lethal aid. Here's what I told them: 'I think that's a winning combination.'"
He later added: "Remain in Mexico is the No. 1 game changer."
Graham said the foreign aid should be "a loan, like [former] President [Donald] Trump suggested."
"The Europeans gave Ukraine $55 billion; $33 [billion] of it was a loan. So, I think if you turn the lethal aid into a loan, do Remain in Mexico, Title 42, that combination not only gets through the House, it picks up votes in the Senate," Graham said.
"It would be welcome relief to the Ukraine. It would be a blow to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. It will also help Israel and Taiwan."
The senator also said Russia should be added to the U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism following the prison death last week of opposition leader and Putin critic Alexei Navalny.
"I just got off the phone with two Democratic senators. Let's make Russia a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law and make them pay a price for killing Navalny," Graham said.
"It would allow the Navalny family to go to U.S. court and sue Putin's Russia for killing of their loved one. State sponsored terrorism designation is a game changer. It would allow more sanctions, it would open up the American courtroom."
Graham said he expected legislation on such action this week.
"President Biden told Putin, 'If something happens to Navalny, you're going to pay a price,'" Graham said. "President Biden, I agree with you. The price they should pay is to make Russia a state sponsor of terrorism like Iran, Cuba and North Korea. They deserve this designation.
"Putin's been killing people, opposition leaders, for decades now. He's dismembered Syria. He's one of the world's worst actors; he's an indicted war criminal."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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