Fetterman Breaks With Own Party, Acknowledges ‘Crisis’ at the Southern Border

Original article here.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman recently diverged from his party’s stance by acknowledging the severe situation at the United States’ southern border.

“There’s a crisis at the border. And I don’t know how anybody could pretend that there isn’t,” Fetterman said in a notable departure from the his party’s consensus position on the issue.

Over the past few weeks, Fetterman has repeatedly voiced his criticisms regarding his party’s approach to border issues. In a conversation with NBC News, he clarified his political stance, saying, “I’m not a progressive. I just think I’m a Democrat that is very committed to choice and other things. But with Israel, I’m going to be on the right side of that. And immigration is something near and dear to me, and I think we do have to effectively address it as well.”

The issue of border security has become increasingly prominent, especially with the looming threat of a government shutdown. House Republicans have been adamant about their demands for enhanced border security. This comes in the wake of record-breaking illegal alien entries into the United States. House Speaker Mike Johnson and several colleagues recently visited the southern border to assess the situation firsthand. This visit followed a fiscal year in which there were a record 3.2 million illegal alien encounters.

These figures, however, do not account for those who have evaded detection, known as “gotaways,” further complicating the true extent of the issue. Since President Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, more than eight million illegal aliens are estimated to have entered the country.

In response to these challenges, Biden has urged Congress to approve a substantial foreign aid package. This package aims to provide significant additional security funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. In contrast, House Republicans have passed an alternative foreign aid package. They are calling on the president to propose a comprehensive plan to initiate negotiations on foreign aid.

Furthermore, House Republicans have declared their intention to withhold funding for Ukraine until the border situation is adequately addressed.