Nashville Standard

United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) appeared on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News to discuss his opposition to the border supplemental deal. Hagerty, a member of the Senate Appropriations and Foreign Relations Committees, expressed his concerns about the bill, stating, "I'm a hard no on this bill. It's not a border bill. Just because you call it a border bill doesn't make it a border security bill."

Hagerty criticized the use of "Orwellian phrases" in the legislation, such as "non-custodial detention." He expressed his disbelief that such a term could be used to describe a favorable situation for children, saying, "I'm sure all kids at school would like to have non-custodial detention." He argued that the bill was simply a means for some to undermine the accomplishments of former President Donald Trump, specifically referring to Section 212(f), which was intended to be used to shut down the border.

The Senator also emphasized the need to address the incentives that encourage illegal immigration. He highlighted the fact that congressional seats and electoral votes are allocated based on the number of people in a state, not just the number of citizens. He pointed out that states like New York and California, where access to free credit cards and healthcare is available, benefit from an increase in the number of illegal immigrants as it grants them more political power. Hagerty stressed the importance of addressing this incentive as well.

The discussion on The Ingraham Angle highlighted the division within the Republican conference regarding the border bill. Despite this division, Hagerty's firm stance against the legislation and his call for a frank discussion about the incentives behind illegal immigration showcased his commitment to addressing the issue from a conservative perspective.