President Joe Biden weighed in himself Friday evening on the drama surrounding the Senate‘s Ukraine-immigration deal, claiming the legislation represents the “toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country.”

Biden’s comments come as the White House has repeatedly criticized House Republicans and former President Donald Trump for “getting in the way” of negotiations in the Senate.

“For too long, we all know the border’s been broken. It’s long past time to fix it,” Biden wrote in a statement. “That’s why two months ago, I instructed my team to begin negotiations with a bipartisan group of Senators to seriously, and finally, address the border crisis. For weeks now that’s what they’ve done. Working around the clock, through the holidays, and over weekends.”

“What’s been negotiated would – if passed into law – be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country,” he continued. “It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law.”

Biden reiterated his calls for Congress to approve the supplemental funding request he submitted in October 2023, which he claims would yield “an additional 1,300 border patrol agents, 375 immigration judges, 1,600 asylum officers, and over 100 cutting-edge inspection machines to help detect and stop fentanyl at our southwest border.”

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“Securing the border through these negotiations is a win for America. For everyone who is demanding tougher border control, this is the way to do it,” the president concluded. “If you’re serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it.”

Earlier on Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) signaled in a “Dear Colleague” letter that the Senate’s yet-to-be-finalized bill would be “dead on arrival” when it reaches the House.