(LibertySociety.com) – The crisis at the southern border has dominated the air waves on most media outlets in recent weeks. It all started with Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott cordoning off Shelby Park in Eagle Pass with razor wire, fencing, and the Texas National Guard in early January. Shortly thereafter, House Republicans introduced a resolution that condemned Biden’s open border policies and urged his administration to change course. The press coverage likely caused issues for the Democrats, as many are attempting to save face before the 2024 election cycle is in full swing.
In what seems to be a more frequent occurrence since the end of California Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi’s reign as House Speaker, 14 Democrats joined the Republicans in voting for the resolution on January 17. One notable defector was Texas Democratic Representative Colin Allred, who is attempting to unseat Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the Senate in November. Representative Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, also voted with the Republicans. Democratic Representatives from Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Nevada, Florida, Alaska, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, and Illinois made up the remainder of the votes.
Maine Democratic Representative Jared Golden released a statement regarding his vote, writing that the issues at the border warranted action. He argued that the crisis “should be a top priority in Washington, just like it is in most of America.” Ohio Democratic Representative Greg Landsman provided a statement to The Hill after the vote. He admitted that the Biden administration could put forward some effort to ease the crisis but said that his vote was to prevent Republicans from suggesting that he supported open border policies. He also said that he was planning to introduce a resolution to call on Congress to “fully fund” border patrol, immigration judges and staff, as well as technology needs for Customs and Border Protection.
House Speaker Mike Johnson blasted Biden’s policies in a post on X, formerly Twitter, challenging him to take executive action to put a stop to the crisis. He also wrote that House Republicans would not stop their demands until the United States had a secure border. A national security bill out of the Senate that includes major concessions by Republicans and minimal border security is likely dead upon arrival in the House after the details of the bill were leaked to the press.
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