Editorial: Tillis's flip on bipartisan border security deal is a flop

CBC Editorial: Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024; #8904

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

As the bipartisan deal on border security and military aid to Ukraine to defend itself from Russian aggression emerged North Carolina’s Republican senior Sen. Thom Tillis was a voice of reason.

Jan. 24, 2024
“It goes far enough for me, and I think if anyone’s intellectually honest with themselves, they know that these would be extraordinary tools for President Trump,” Tillis said after emerging from negotiations on the deal with fellow Republicans and White House officials.

“We will rue the day if we miss this opportunity,” Tillis ominously concluded.

The day he spoke of arrived Tuesday and Tillis choked on his own words.

Feb. 6, 2024
"I commend Senator Lankford for the hard work he put in during months of negotiations, especially on asylum and parole reform, and he secured the best deal he could with an administration that tried to put up every roadblock imaginable,” Tillis posted on Z (Twitter) Tuesday.

“With that said, I have repeatedly said it would be a mistake to send this bill to the House without the support of a majority of Republican senators, and if it didn’t have a majority, I would not support a futile procedural exercise. After reviewing the bill text, there are provisions that are highly problematic, especially considering the fact that President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas caused this border crisis and have refused to use existing laws already on the books to address it. It is hard to trust that the Biden Administration would even implement this bill in good faith. I will vote no.”

When it comes to trust, North Carolina voters should rue the day, as Tillis said last week, that they put him in the Senate.

What is clear is: Tillis doesn’t really care about border security. He doesn’t want to help stop Vladimir Putin’s Russian aggression and support those fighting for freedom in Ukraine.

Tillis is subservient to Donald Trump’s selfish desires for a political confrontation. He is fearful of retribution from Trump and his devotees in the GOP on the national and state level (he surely fearfully recalls the state GOP censure of his former fellow U.S. Sen. Richard Burr).

Will Tillis “rue the day” he caved as a nation looked for leadership and integrity? He should.

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