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United Senate Republicans Push To Change Biden’s Disastrous Border Policies | Republican Leader
11.15.23
The Biden Administration’s Border Security Failures Are Drawing Record Numbers Of Illegal Aliens From All Over The World, Leaving American Law Enforcement Overwhelmed
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “It is impossible to ignore the crisis at our southern border that’s erupted on Washington Democrats’ watch: Back-to-back record-setting years that saw millions upon millions of illegal arrivals at the border. And historic quantities of fentanyl and other lethal drugs pouring across to decimate American communities. Let’s remember where this crisis came from. President Biden campaigned on open-borders policies. His message was so compelling that crowds literally showed up at the southern border with his campaign logo on their shirts. As one put it back then, the President had, quote, ‘promised us that everything was going to change.’” (Leader McConnell, Remarks, 11/15/2023)
- LEADER McCONNELL: “[T]his is the Administration that canceled commonsense policies like ‘Remain in Mexico,’ shelved DHS resources meant for border wall construction, and abandoned overstretched border enforcement personnel to contend with a tidal wave of mass migration. Today, cleaning up this Administration’s mess at the southern border is matter of urgent national security. And I’m grateful to the group of Senate Republicans including Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and Senator Cotton who have been working in good faith on substantive policy reforms to bring the crisis under control. The goal here is simple: Slow the flow; and stop the catch-and-release asylum system that’s overrunning border communities and blue cities, alike. This crisis isn’t crying out for boatloads of new taxpayer dollars. Just commonsense policy reform. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats do not appear ready to admit this reality. They’re apparently not ready to seriously address asylum abuse.” (Leader McConnell, Remarks, 11/15/2023)
Senate Republicans Are Committed To Fighting For Commonsense Border Security Reforms
SENATE REPUBLICAN WHIP JOHN THUNE (R-SD): “[T]he president’s recent supplemental funding request has not left me hopeful that the administration is suddenly going to become more effective. Potentially billions in reimbursement for blue states struggling to house illegal immigrants won’t do a single thing to solve the crisis we’re facing at the border. And while the president’s proposal does include some funding that would actually go toward security, funding alone is not enough. We need meaningful policy changes…” (Sen. Thune, Remarks, 11/01/2023)
SENATE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIR JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): “Joe Biden and the Democrats refuse to admit that we have an urgent crisis at the southern border. They refuse to admit that the crisis and the weakness is brought upon by the fact that they have ignored or reversed rules and activities that have worked in the past to secure the border.” (Sen. Barrasso, Press Conference, 11/14/2023)
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair: “Targeted funding must be accompanied by policy changes that ensure our borders are secure…” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member: “I reject the idea this is a global phenomenon problem. I think you’re misdiagnosing the problem. This is policy changes you all instituted that I told you wouldn’t work and we now need to fix that. Trend lines: 2020, 458,000 encounters. 2023, 2.5 million. We need to change that don’t we? That trend line.”
SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: “We most certainly do.” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): “Republicans in the Senate this past weekend released a very simple proposal to deal with what we all know are the problems. Closing the loopholes in the law that have been exploited. And yes it deals with asylum and yes it deals with withholding because those are the areas that are being exploited. … The question is, do Democrat senators see it. That’s really the issue now. Everyone else seems to see it and admit to it.” (Sen. Lankford, Remarks, 11/06/2023)
SEN. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-WV): “We are trying, I think, to offer the administration, we being the Republicans here in the Senate, offering the administration substantive policy changes that will bring these numbers down.” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL): “When we talk about this, we don’t have to manage the border as it says in one of your requests here, we actually need to secure it.” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
Border Encounters With Illegal Aliens ‘Hit The Highest Ever Number For October’
“Migrant encounters at the southern border hit the highest ever number for October last month, with more than 240,000 people encountered…” (“Migrant Encounters At Southern Border Set New Record For October: Data,” Fox News, 11/14/2023)
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: “[C]rossings remain unusually high…” (The Associated Press, 11/14/2023)
Illegal Aliens Now Run Towards Law Enforcement, ‘Knowing That They Will Likely Be Released In A Few Days To Await Court Dates That Could Be Years Away’
“For years, migrants who crossed illegally into the United States would often run away from law enforcement, but now once reaching the US most run to authorities, according to observers. They’re eager to be processed, knowing that they will likely be released in a few days to await court dates that could be years away…. Most of the migrants entering San Diego County appear familiar with the process, as though they’ve been prepared by others who’ve successfully arrived before them. They gather at various spots on the US side and await CBP officials … [B]uses first take them just a few miles to area detention centers to be processed over a few days. They’re then transported north to transit hubs in San Diego, where county officials say the vast majority travel to other cities.” (“They Live Near San Diego. Migrants Pass Through Their Back Yards Almost Nightly,” CNN, 11/13/2023)
The Draw Of Easy Illegal Entry Into The United States Has Resulted In Huge Numbers Of Migrants Overwhelming Countries From Panama All The Way Through Mexico
“The southwestern border of the U.S. has struggled to cope with increasing numbers of migrants from South America who move quickly through the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama before heading north. By September, 420,000 migrants, aided by Colombian smugglers, had passed through the gap in the year to date, Panamanian figures showed.” (“Caravan Of 3,000 Migrants Blocks Highway In Southern Mexico,” The Associated Press, 11/08/2023)
THE WASHINGTON POST: ‘U.S.-Bound Migrants Are Overwhelming Mexico’ (The Washington Post, 10/20/2023)
- “[Mexico] is struggling with a migration crisis of its own, as historic numbers of asylum seekers cross its southern border. As many as 6,000 migrants a day have lined up outside government offices in southern Mexico — some seeking refuge in this country, but many others headed for the United States. That’s up to 10 times as many as in the spring. Security forces have pulled more than 27,000 undocumented migrants off trains in the past month alone.” (“U.S.-Bound Migrants Are Overwhelming Mexico,” The Washington Post, 10/20/2023)
“Until recently, the migrants reaching the U.S. border were mostly Mexicans and Central Americans. Now there’s a global outpouring of economic and political refugees funneling through Mexico. The number of South American migrants reaching Mexico this year has surpassed the number of Central Americans for the first time since record-keeping began. Mexico went from logging fewer than 2,000 South Americans a year for most of the past decade to more than 176,000 in the first eight months of 2023. Many are traveling with families.” (“U.S.-Bound Migrants Are Overwhelming Mexico,” The Washington Post, 10/20/2023)
‘The Southern Border Has Just Become A Staging Ground For Migrants From All Parts Of The World To Come To The U.S. Most Quickly’
“‘The Southern border has just become a staging ground for migrants from all parts of the world to come to the U.S. most quickly,’ said Muzaffar Chishti, a lawyer and the director of non-partisan research group Migration Policy Institute’s New York office.” (NBC News, 11/14/2023)
“Border Patrol agents struggle communicating with many of them, instead relying on hand signals or smartphone translation apps – assuming the cell signal is strong enough. Spanish and English are no longer sufficient, as local volunteers have documented people from more than 40 countries crossing in recent months, including China, Turkey and Uzbekistan.” (“They Live Near San Diego. Migrants Pass Through Their Back Yards Almost Nightly,” CNN, 11/13/2023)
Apprehensions Of Illegal Aliens From Asia And Africa TRIPLED During The Last Fiscal Year
“Hundreds of thousands of migrants from all over the world are making their way to the Southwest border, with U.S. and Mexican authorities reporting a surge in apprehensions of people from Asia and Africa as human smuggling networks widen their reach across the globe. Arrests at the Southwest border of migrants from China, India and other distant countries, including Mauritania and Senegal, tripled to 214,000 during the fiscal year that ended in September from 70,000 in the previous fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Fewer than 19,000 migrants from Asia and Africa were apprehended in the fiscal year ended September 2021.” (“Migrants Are Flocking to the U.S. From All Over the Globe,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/04/2023)
- “Travelers say they exchange information and share videos of U.S.-bound routes on Tik Tok and Facebook, while smugglers offer lodging and travel agencies advertise transport services. Most Asian and African migrants make multiple airport stopovers in what are coming to be known as ‘donkey flights’ to reach countries such as Brazil, Ecuador or Nicaragua, which have few or no visa requirements for some nationalities. Once they set foot in Latin America, they move north in buses or cars and stay at hotels booked by smuggling organizations. Many wear bracelets similar to those of an all-inclusive resort, with inscriptions that identify the organization that coordinated and charged them for the trip, Mexican authorities say.” (“Migrants Are Flocking to the U.S. From All Over the Globe,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/04/2023)
“For the second year in a row, arrests by the Border Patrol at the U.S. Southern border surpassed two million. Most of them, almost nine out of 10 apprehensions, are of migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. But the surge in so-called extracontinental migrants poses a challenge for the U.S. because deporting migrants to Africa and Asia is time-consuming, expensive and sometimes not possible.” (“Migrants Are Flocking to the U.S. From All Over the Globe,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/04/2023)
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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Related Issues:
Immigration,
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Dallas, TX
‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ Review: Netflix’s ‘Cheer’ Team Struggles To Dig Deep
Dating back to 2016’s Last Chance U, Greg Whiteley and a team of many of the same collaborators have been honing one of television’s most successful formulas at Netflix.
The combination of intimate, character-driven portraits and best-in-class sports photography has followed Last Chance U, with its initial focus on JUCO football, to three different schools and then over to basketball, as well. Then, without the Last Chance U banner, Whiteley and company somehow achieved even greater success with two seasons of Cheer, as well as 2023’s Wrestlers, one of my 10 favorite shows of last year.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
The Bottom Line Falls short of the ‘Cheer,’ ‘Wrestlers’ pinnacle.
Airdate: Thursday, June 20 (Netflix)
Creator: Greg Whiteley
In an odd way, Whiteley and company’s new Netflix seven-parter, America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, is the ultimate validation of the formula’s strength and the One Potato Productions craftspeople’s skills. It’s the worst of their Netflix series and, as it gets thoroughly and frustratingly caught up in the mythos surrounding its subjects, the first time of their shows that has ever felt more like a well-polished commercial than an eye-opening documentary.
Yet for all the times you wish that the series were capable of digging deeper, that it feels like individual episodes and the entire season lack a cohesive storyline, it’s still almost impossible not to be entertained for the duration and to find a few characters and moments that make the journey generally worthwhile, if not fully satisfying.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders presents a unique pair of challenges for EP and frequent director Whiteley, director-producer Chelsea Yarnell (Cheer) and the rest of the gang.
For one, this is the first time they’ve chronicled an institution that needs them and their spotlight significantly less than they need it. I was constantly aware of how the DCC — as everybody calls the cheerleaders — and the Cowboys Empire were controlling and limiting access and of the myriad ways that the DCC’s entire infrastructure is built around curbing individual candor in the name of collective messaging.
Secondly, this is the first time that this group has found itself making a series that has, honestly, already been made. From 2006 to 2022, CMT aired a series called Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team which, as the title suggests, was all about the audition process for the DCC, built around Kelli Finglass, the DCC’s longtime director, and Judy Trammell, its veteran choreographer.
The gap in production quality between America’s Sweethearts and the CMT series is like the difference between Dizzy Gillespie and a child playing a kazoo, but for at least four of the seven episodes, America’s Sweethearts is a rerun of Making the Team.
We follow Kelli, personality best defined as “Passionate about the DCC,” and Judy, personality best defined as “Passionate about the DCC,” as they weed through hundreds of online and in-person auditions with cheer contenders and then cut that field down to 45 training camp selections, and finally, the 36-woman squad.
Along the way, we learn the basics about what makes a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader — unlike Cheer, the conceit here isn’t proving that cheerleading is a sport, but rather positioning what the DCC does as occupying the intersection between high-octane dance and high-charm brand ambassadorship — and we meet maybe a dozen of the aspiring rookies and savvy veterans competing for those coveted slots.
The aspirants have personalities that can collectively be best defined as “Passionate about the DCC,” which doesn’t always give the storytellers clear pathways to make them distinctive.
There’s Kelcey, a rising team captain approaching her fifth and final season on the squad and definitely passionate about the DCC. There’s Reece, a former beauty queen hoping to make the team for the first time, whose passion for the DCC is second only to her passion for Jesus (she’s far from the only one). There’s Victoria, whose emotional elimination and subsequent success is a key Making the Team plot point and whose passion for the DCC was passed down from her mother.
We also spend time with Kelly, facing the geographic adversity of hailing from New Jersey; Anisha, an orthodontist by day, cheerleader by night; and Anna Kate, whose sister Caroline recently ended her DCC career and is now trying to figure out what comes next.
Those early episodes stick closely to the conventions of the competition reality genre — choreography challenges, judging panels, catty commentary. Heck, there’s even a makeover episode in which the girls go to a salon and express terror that the judges might chop their hair off.
There are flaccid attempts to build stories within that structure, including trips home to meet the girls’ families and the revelation of various heartbreaking secrets. This absolutely allowed me to know a dozen of their names, though since nearly everybody’s name is “Kelly,” that’s hardly an achievement.
But once the squad is finally settled, there’s a bizarre “What do we do now?” confusion. The series races through the rest of the football season in its last two episodes with no objective at all. Is the drama supposed to come from whether or not the Cowboys make the Super Bowl? Because they don’t. Instead, there are brief spotlights on Dolly Parton performing at halftime in the Thanksgiving game and something bad that happens to one of the girls who hadn’t been featured for a single second previously, making her storyline both unfortunate and unfortunately arbitrary.
America’s Sweethearts is a series with very little conflict. This is a gathering of dozens of women between the ages of 20 and 31, in which there’s no fighting — or even minor disagreements — in which sex and drugs and alcohol are completely nonexistent, in which constant critiquing of their bodies leads to exactly one, nonspecific eating disorder.
Despite intense competition, there are no rivalries and despite intense physicality and references to a lifetime of subsequent degenerative conditions, we witness no injury worse than one twisted ankle. And maybe it’s all accurate! Maybe DCC Land is the most magical of magical kingdoms, but what are the chances that any storytellers would actually want to tell this conflict-free story?
What’s frustrating is that the filmmakers know the things they should be more curious about, but those avenues prove to be dead ends. The very first episode, for example, introduces the idea that NFL cheerleaders are economically exploited, with references to how little the Cowboys cheerleaders used to be paid per game. At no point do we learn what they’re making now and if this is an active concern for anybody, those concerns aren’t ever expressed again. Too much satisfaction!
If you pay attention, you can see the cracks in the “Happiest Place on Earth” veneer — Victoria is introduced literally sobbing through a huge smile, while Caroline’s wheel-spinning approach to her life post-DCC is oddly poignant, if thoroughly sanitized. But the series is too frequently caught up in the veneer — and, I suppose, in the smiley white veneers — in marveling at the shiny silver belt buckles and impeccably tailored boots and the superficial gloss that comes with the DCC iconography.
I still found myself caring about a number of the cheerleaders and even investing in things like the precarious “Thunderstruck” jump-splits. But when the seventh episode concluded with several participants symbolically removing their thick layers of makeup and eyelashes with the camera as a mirror, I was very aware that the series hadn’t, in fact, actually taken us beneath any surfaces at all.
Whiteley’s previous shows have all felt like they were stories that he and his crew needed to tell. America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders feels like a story that Netflix, aggressively diving into bed with both the Cowboys — a 10-part series about the Jerry Jones glory years is coming soon — and the NFL, wanted told. It’s not the same thing.
The Miami Dolphins selected cornerback, Cam Smith, in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and ended his rookie season with 20 defensive snaps. Smith wound up in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s doghouse and saw Ethan Bonner, an undrafted rookie, contribute more in the secondary. Thankfully Smith can put that year behind him and focus on improving under the Dolphins new defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver. It also helps having Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller as teammates to learn from two of the best in the NFL.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
Why the Miami Dolphins like Cam Smith’s Potential for Year 2
The Miami Dolphins’ top draft pick in 2023 is looking to take a big step after a forgettable rookie season, and his coaches like the signs they saw in the offseason.
Dolphins Tight Ends
Miami Dolphins Training Camp Preview: TE Tanner Conner
The third-year tight end will try to work his way onto the 53-man roster
Dolphins Offseason
The Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Ring Mistake and Travis Kelce’s Reaction
There’s a factual mistake on the Kansas City Chiefs’ latest Super Bowl rings and it involves the Dolphins
Phinsider News You May Have Missed
A bigger role for De’Von Achane – Miami Dolphins News 6/19/24 – The Phinsider
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.
NFL roundup: Trevor Lawrence gets paid – The Phinsider
Trevor Lawrence is the latest player to cash in on a big payday
Miami Dolphins’ LT Terron Armstead speaks highly of QB Tua Tagovailoa – The Phinsider
Terron Armstead and Tua Tagovailoa have built quite a relationship over the last few seasons. but will Miami’s quarterback get paid what he deserves?
NFL Insider Weighs in on Tua Tagovailoa’s Potential Contract Extension – The Phinsider
NFL insider Tom Pelissero analyzes the quarterback market and where Tagovailoa stands.
Phinsider Question Of The Day: Most Overrated Edition – The Phinsider
Who’s your most overrated Miami Dolphins player?
Things seem to be getting back on track in Atlanta, with their first series sweep in a while, as the organization is seeing some success in the minors as well. Crucially for Atlanta, the bats seem to be thawing, with Austin Riley hitting the ball very well over the last handful of games and Sean Murphy having an explosive breakout game against the formidable Tarik Skubal and Tigers’ bullpen Wednesday. Jared Kelenic also seems to be hitting the ball well in his own right, as he slowly seems to be growing into his role in Atlanta and his talent. Meanwhile the starting pitching continues to be spectacular, lead by our steady Max Fried in potentially his last season in Atlanta, and shrewd offseason additions Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez. Spencer Schwellenbach deserves significant credit as well for his work at the back of the rotation, coming straight from AA.
Braves News
The Braves’ high-A affiliate, the Rome Emperors clinched a playoff spot, on a team featuring some interesting prospects.
Kris put together some takeaways from this recent Atlanta sweep of the Tigers, featuring some thawing bats and dominant pitching.
Sean Murphy had a breakout performance at the plate and Reynaldo Lopez continued to rack up strong starts, as the Braves secured a sweep with a 7-0 win.
Braves Podcasts
MLB News
Walker Buehler is hitting the IL for the Dodgers with a hip injury, as he has had a shaky return from Tommy John thus far.
Kyle Bradish got his Tommy John surgery with the internal brace, and will miss close to a year for Baltimore’s promising young team.
Toronto released the iconic Daniel Vogelbach, after designating him for assignment last week.
The Cubs traded minor league catcher Ali Sanchez to Miami for cash considerations.
Kendrick Lamar Unveils New Verse in Drake Diss ‘Euphoria’ at ‘Pop Out’ Concert in Los Angeles
'Nobody prepared us': An Ivy League wrestler's unlikely path to SEC lineman and NFL Draft prospect
Tears, pre-announcements, vanishing into thin air: The new rules of tennis retirement
Centuries-old cherries were found at George Washington's home. What can they tell us?
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OpenAI’s former chief scientist is starting a new AI company
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Biden donors put up $10 million in effort to compete with Trump campaign’s viral videos: report
As Putin visits, Vietnam says will boost ties with Russia for global peace
Attorneys reach deal that could allow some Dali crew members to fly home after months stuck onboard, court filings say | CNN
Biden campaign manager dodges question on whether immigration executive order will get president more votes
Residents evacuated from Athens suburb as wildfire season hits Greece
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