Tester Votes For Border Security Legislation That Fails In Senate

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., voted for bipartisan legislation to secure the southern border.

The bipartisan border security bill received the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council and the Director of Customs and Border Protection, who have said that the bill “would provide the strongest set of tools we have had in decades” and “codify into law authorities that U.S. Border Patrol agents never had in the past.”

“Montanans want a secure border and law enforcement have told me they need new laws and more resources to get the job done, which is why I voted again to support the strongest bipartisan border security bill in decades,” said Tester. “This commonsense bill would push back on the Biden Administration’s failed border policies by forcing the president to shut down the border, strengthen our asylum laws, and end catch and release. It is shameful that Mitch McConnell and D.C. politicians would rather keep the border as a political talking point than actually fix the problem, but that does not let President Biden off the hook — he must use every remaining tool at his disposal to secure our southern border and keep Montana safe.”

Here’s what law enforcement have said about the bill: The National Border Patrol Council stated in part: “The Border Act of 2024 will codify into law authorities that U.S. Border Patrol agents never had in the past. This will allow us to remove single adults expeditiously and without a lengthy judicial review, which historically has required the release of these individuals into the interior of the U.S. This alone will drop illegal border crossings nationwide and will allow a great many of our agents to get back to detecting and apprehending those who want to cross our borders illegally and evade apprehension. While not perfect, the Border Act of 2024 is a step in the right direction and is far better than the status quo, which is why the National Border Patrol Council endorses the bill and hopes for a quick passage.”

Border Patrol and law enforcement have endorsed the bipartisan border bill because it would: * Provide more than $20 billion for manpower, technology, and operational needs to secure the southern border – resources law enforcement have said they need to get the job done; * Empower and require the President to close the border when the system becomes overwhelmed – a power the executive currently does not have; * Make the most significant legal changes in decades – including ending “catch and release” and raising the asylum standards.