Ricketts, Colleagues Call For 72-Hour Review Period Before Vote on Border Supplemental

January 27, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led 9 of his Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calling for a 72-hour public review period before any vote on a border supplemental bill.

“The crisis at our nation’s southern border is unprecedented,” wrote the Senators. “It’s the worst it’s ever been in our country’s history. You also said that ‘it is my goal for the Senate to move forward to the national security supplemental as soon as possible.’ We anticipate that legislation to address the crisis at our southern border will be in that supplemental. It is crucial that we ensure border legislation is passed correctly, not just quickly. We must fully understand what is in the bill, how the Biden administration will implement the bill, and how it will impact our states and local communities.”

Specifically, the Senators called for:

Seventy-two hours to elapse between the text of the full national security supplemental bill being made public and the first vote on the legislation in the Senate. This will allow Senators to review the legislation fully.
Cabinet Secretaries and other administration officials charged with the bill’s implementation be made available to answer questions in an all-Senators meeting. This will allow all Senators to ask questions and learn how this will impact their state.

“We believe this legislative effort can lead to a secure, safe, and operational border,” continued the Senators. “For that to happen, however, we must have the opportunity to ensure the legislation does just that.”

In addition to Ricketts, other signatories include: Senate Foreign Relations Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID), Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).

Full text of the letter can be found below and a PDF is available HERE.