In prepared remarks released in recent days from President Joe Biden, he went after House Republicans for what’s so far been them bucking more substantive action on ambitious funding proposals oriented around border security made by the president’s team.
Republicans insist there’s a major, sweeping problem at the southern border, and there really are real-world issues like the distribution of the dangerous drug fentanyl… and yet, even Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has said “no” to the border security funding proposal made by the president’s team that would, among other developments, expand hiring on border/immigration teams.
“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,” Biden said at the close of last week. “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. If you’re serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it.”
The negotiations and potentially subsequent bipartisan deal on immigration have involved Senate discussions. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said over the weekend that an actual text for the slowly materializing agreement should be coming soon. “This bill could be ready to be on the floor of the United States Senate next week. But it won’t be if Republicans decide that they want to keep this issue unsettled for political purposes,” he told CNN on Sunday, referring to the growing concern of Republicans potentially trying to effectively leave the border situation in its current state, supporting Trump’s ambitions of using claimed problems for his campaign.
CNN said a portion of the deal at a recent juncture included providing the federal government with new legal allowances to shut down the southern border between ports of entry, meaning the established points of entering the United States. Large shares of individuals seeking asylum and showing up in such areas could be turned away.
