OAN’s Taylor Tinsley
6:40 PM – Wednesday, January 3, 2023
A Republican delegation has visited the Southern Border in Eagle Pass, Texas. Leading Wednesday’s delegation was House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Johnson (R-La.) said that the crisis at the border is a direct result of President Biden’s failed policies.
“Rather than incentivizing people to come, the president needs to deter people from coming to the country,” Johnson said. “Rather than discussing amnesty with Mexico, this administration should reinstate the remain in Mexico policy. The president can and should act now. This doesn’t require legislation, it requires leadership.”
The House Speaker said that since Biden has taken office, the U.S. has had over 7 million illegal encounters at the border. Nearly 2 million of those individuals have gotten away, as well as over 300 suspects apprehended were on the terrorist watch list.
Johnson added that a local sheriff and former border patrol agent had told him that it took the Biden Administration less than 6 months to dismantle 100 years of progress at the border.
“Since the time that Biden took office the administration has done next to nothing to protect the border, but we’ve all seen with our own eyes they’ve opened the border to the entire world,” Johnson said. “It’s estimated that nearly 170 countries have people coming in, flowing across this border.”
The Louisiana Republican’s remarks come after the White House attempted to switch the narrative before lawmakers traveled to Eagle Pass.
On Monday, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates attempted to blame the migrant crisis on Republicans in a statement.
“Actions speak louder than words. House Republicans’ anti-border security record is defined by attempting to cut Customs and Border Protection personnel, opposing President Biden’s record-breaking border security funding, and refusing to take up the President’s supplemental funding request,” Bates said.
Johnson said Biden’s America “has laid out a welcome mat” for migrants. He asserted the administration continues to attack lawmakers that are actually trying to prevent illegal crossings, pointing to how they sued Texas over Governor Greg Abbott’s (R-Texas) border laws.
The press conference comes as Republicans are planning an impeachment hearing against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Representative Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said Mayorkas is the greatest domestic threat to the safety of the American people and national security.
“He, through his policies, has defied and subverted the laws passed by the United States Congress,” Green said. “He has defied multiple court orders… He has broken his oath to defend this country.
The House Homeland Security Committee is set to hold an impeachment hearing against Mayorkas on January 10th.
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