--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that what we should do first…" description: "\"I believe that what we should do first and foremost is seal the border. The Republicans and Democrats have both failed on this issue for decades. And o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/thom-tillis-4725_believe_i-believe-that-what-we-should-do-first-a_2177131.jpg" --- # I believe that what we should do first and foremost is… ![“I believe that what we should do first and foremost is seal the border. The Republicans and Democrats have both failed on this issue for decades. And one of the reasons why is I don't think we have stabilized the problem by taking credible steps to seal the border. Then let's discuss what we do…” quote by Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/thom-tillis-4725_believe_i-believe-that-what-we-should-do-first-a_2177131.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/thom-tillis-4725_believe_i-believe-that-what-we-should-do-first-a_2177131.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/thom-tillis-4725_believe_i-believe-that-what-we-should-do-first-a_2177131.jpg) > “I believe that what we should do first and foremost is seal the border. The Republicans and Democrats have both failed on this issue for decades. And one of the reasons why is I don't think we have stabilized the problem by taking credible steps to seal the border. Then let's discuss what we do with the population who is illegally present.” [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Border security is the top priority; both parties have failed, so sealing the border should precede any immigration policy discussion. **In simple terms:** Secure borders before addressing illegal immigration. Key Takeaway Seal borders first, then discuss immigration. Themes politics immigration policy security Mood urgent defensive Type political policy When to use this quote - legislative hearings - public debate - border patrol operations Key Concepts border control bipartisan failure Questions to Reflect On - What are the root causes of illegal immigration? - How can bipartisan solutions be achieved? A Different Perspective Sealing borders alone may not solve deeper migration causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Border Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/border-republicans-4686680/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Population Illegally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population-illegally-4686681/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) [Republicans Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans-democrats-301079/) [Seal Border](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seal-border-1504415/) [Why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why/) ## Related quotes > [Folks are really tired of this rabid division between Republicans and Democrats. 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Democrats won both times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell-jr/in-the-2008-and-2012-presidential-elections-american-voters-were/) [Jerry Falwell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell-jr/) > [I like the fact that, in my state, we had Republicans and Democrats come together and work together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-like-the-fact-that-in-my-state-we-had-republicans-and-democrats/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [We think about our country and the big issues that we face in this country; creating jobs, making sure people can keep their jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/we-think-about-our-country-and-the-big-issues-that-we-face-in-this/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [The last thing that Israel needs is to be part of the internal agenda in the United States between Republicans and Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzipi-livni/the-last-thing-that-israel-needs-is-to-be-part-of-the-internal-agenda/) [Tzipi Livni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzipi-livni/) > [I don't even think the biggest divide is between Republicans and Democrats. I think it's between institutionalists and reformers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gaetz/i-don-t-even-think-the-biggest-divide-is-between-republicans-and/) [Matt Gaetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gaetz/) > [What bothers me the most are the Republicans and the Democrats: they act like little kids. 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It's Republicans and Democrats. It's middle class, lower middle class, working class Americans who have felt the angst, who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ehrlich/it-s-not-just-republicans-it-s-republicans-and-democrats-it-s-middle/) [Bob Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ehrlich/) > [I can tell you this. It is not going to be evenly constituted and when she was Speaker Pelosi, she certainly showed no interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/i-can-tell-you-this-it-is-not-going-to-be-evenly-constituted-and-when/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [I think the Tea Party movement is great. I think anybody who has been frustrated over the last few years with the Republicans and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-quayle/i-think-the-tea-party-movement-is-great-i-think-anybody-who-has-been/) [Ben Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-quayle/) > [Pretty soon I think you'll have Republicans, Democrats and Hip Hop as a party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pitbull/pretty-soon-i-think-you-ll-have-republicans-democrats-and-hip-hop-as/) [Pitbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pitbull/) ## More by Thom Tillis > [If you just focus on producing good outcomes, all that other stuff sorts itself out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/if-you-just-focus-on-producing-good-outcomes-all-that-other-stuff/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [In the Senate, I will work to shrink the size of our federal government to its core Constitutional role so the private sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/in-the-senate-i-will-work-to-shrink-the-size-of-our-federal/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [We already have two branches of federal government that factor political considerations into their decision-making, and our Founding Fathers determined long ago that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/we-already-have-two-branches-of-federal-government-that-factor/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [Barack Obama and Kay Hagan think that the minimum wage needs to be the same in the mountains of North Carolina and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/barack-obama-and-kay-hagan-think-that-the-minimum-wage-needs-to-be/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [You will never satisfy the far extremes on the Left and the Right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/you-will-never-satisfy-the-far-extremes-on-the-left-and-the-right/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [I just received the endorsement of the National Right to Life, and more than anybody else, more than any organization I can think of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/i-just-received-the-endorsement-of-the-national-right-to-life-and/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [People who truly represent an extreme on either side have a very difficult time getting bipartisan support for what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/people-who-truly-represent-an-extreme-on-either-side-have-a-very/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [In Washington, I will focus on creating a climate that helps create jobs and opportunities for Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/in-washington-i-will-focus-on-creating-a-climate-that-helps-create/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [What I want to do is create jobs that make the minimum wage irrelevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/what-i-want-to-do-is-create-jobs-that-make-the-minimum-wage-irrelevant/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [Republicans do need to communicate that we agree that there are serious health care issues among the American people that we need to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/republicans-do-need-to-communicate-that-we-agree-that-there-are/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [I have immense respect for Loretta Lynch both personally and professionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/i-have-immense-respect-for-loretta-lynch-both-personally-and/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [The heartaches of Obamacare don't have to be the norm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/the-heartaches-of-obamacare-don-t-have-to-be-the-norm/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [Republicans should remember that when Trump campaigned, he wasn't holding up a conservative manifesto at every rally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/republicans-should-remember-that-when-trump-campaigned-he-wasn-t/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [Americans from all walks of life have voiced their deep frustration with Washington's seeming inability to get anything constructive done. For decades, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/americans-from-all-walks-of-life-have-voiced-their-deep-frustration/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [When officers' actions violate their duty, justice should be served in accordance with our legal system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/when-officers-actions-violate-their-duty-justice-should-be-served-in/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) [Explore all 107 Thom Tillis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe that what we should do first and foremost is seal the border. The Republicans and Democrats have both failed on this issue for decades. And one of the reasons why is I don't think we have stabilized the problem by taking credible steps to seal the border. 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