President Joe Biden shifted the blame Friday for the ongoing border crisis, criticizing lawmakers who have not come to an agreement on a deal, a press release stated.
The ongoing battle of the Lone Star states’ border escalated this week, driving the Biden administration to demand that Texas officials release border areas back to the federal government. However, following Texas’ authorities continuously refusing to follow Biden’s demands, the president released a statement saying it was “long past time to fix” the border crisis. (RELATED: Texas AG Ken Paxton Doubles Down On Refusal Of Surrendering Border To Biden: Press Release)
Biden said in the press release that he “instructed” a team to negotiate “with a bipartisan group of Senators,” emphasizing that the group has worked “around the clock” to attempt to reach an agreed upon solution. The president continued to press on lawmakers, claiming in the release that if they passed the negotiated deal into law it would “be the toughest and fairest set of reforms” on border policy in US history.
“For too long, we all know the border’s been broken. It’s long past time to fix it. 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,” Biden stated in the release.
“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.”
For everyone who is demanding tougher border control, this is the way to do it.
Here’s my full statement on border security negotiations: pic.twitter.com/sm2IXV99Lx
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 27, 2024
Biden additionally said in the release that the potential bill would give him “a new emergency authority” to close the border if it is surged. The president further called on Congress to “provide the funding” he “requested in October to secure the border,” highlighting that “securing the border” would be a “win for America,” the press release said (RELATED: Dems Say Biden Should Seize Control Of Texas’ National Guard — But Here’s What They Aren’t Telling You)
“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 stated in the release.
“Further, Congress needs to finally provide the funding I requested in October to secure the border. This includes 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. Securing the border through these negotiations is a win for America,” Biden’s press release added.
While GOP lawmakers have sounded off on the ongoing issues at the border, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson blocked additional foreign aid spending late last year, demanding that the GOP’s border demands be met. While Senate lawmakers have continued to state that negotiations are coming to an end, some GOP members have already sounded off on concerns over the potential bill.
A handful of GOP Senators told the Daily Caller that the potential framework for the bill would be drastically changing immigration law, with some concerned over legal loopholes for illegal immigrants. The border has reached record numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the border, with December 2023 hitting 302,034 encounters alone, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.