While President Joe Biden wants Americans trapped in the Gaza Strip-Israel war zone to pay their own way home, Rep. Greg Steube and other Republican lawmakers have floated a different approach.
The Sarasota Republican said in an email to his constituents on Sunday that he is co-sponsoring the “Safe Way Home Act,” which seeks to ensure that Americans who cannot afford the high price of commercial flights leaving a war zone are not left behind.
The bill, championed by New York GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy, would redirect federal funding from housing illegal immigrants to paying to bring Americans home from Israel.
The Safe Way Home Act eliminates the Crisis Loan Program, whereby the State Department requires Americans overseas seeking to evacuate the war zone to sign promissory notes, and transfers funding away from the Department of Homeland Security’s Shelter and Services Program, which uses taxpayer money to house people who are in the U.S. illegally.
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“In the wake of the barbaric terrorist attacks in Israel, the United States must do everything we can to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens in the region,” Langworthy said. “While the Biden Administration continues to spend millions to house illegal immigrants, they’ve left Americans in Israel to fend for themselves, only offering a loan for tickets on foreign airlines.”
“The Safe Way Home Act will redirect resources from illegal immigrants to bring our own citizens home from conflict areas,” he added.
Stuebe is one of three Florida GOP lawmakers to co-sponsor the bill. The others are Reps. byron Donalds of Naples and Kat Cammack of Gainesville.
“It’s horrible that American citizens trapped in warzones must PAY our government to evacuate them. The Biden admin has flown illegal immigrants from the border to states all over the country. Did the migrants reimburse our government for their flights?” Steube said on X, formerly Twitter.
“Here’s an idea: Let’s use American tax dollars to help Americans.”
“I’m a cosponsor of the Safe Way Home Act which would eliminate the need for Americans to reimburse our government for evacuations by transferring funds AWAY from programs that currently are funding free housing for illegal immigrants,” Steube added.
“America first always!”
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