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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has openly challenged President Biden’s strategy regarding the U.S.-Mexico border deal, advocating for the use of executive action to manage the influx of encounters handled by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In a post on the social media platform X, Johnson directly addressed the President’s approach: “President Biden falsely claimed yesterday he needs Congress to pass a new law to allow him to close the southern border, but he knows that is untrue,” he stated. Johnson further argued that Biden has sufficient authority to take immediate action to rectify the situation.
Elaborating on potential executive actions, Johnson specified, “President Biden can begin to secure the border by ending catch-and-release, ceasing exploitation of parole authority, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program, expanding the use of expedited removal authority, and renewing construction of the border wall.” He emphasized the immediate need for the President to exercise his legal authority to address the ongoing issues.
This response comes in the wake of President Biden’s statement on Friday, where he expressed his intention to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border under certain conditions: “Let’s be clear, 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. 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.”
In the context of ongoing Senate negotiations regarding the border bill, Johnson conveyed a stark message to his colleagues, labeling the legislation “dead on arrival” in the GOP-led House if it aligns with current rumors. The White House countered this position, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters, “House Republicans, they have a choice to make. They have to choose whether they want to solve a problem, actually solve a problem like the Senate is trying to do in a bipartisan way. Or, get in the way and score political points.”
This comes after a record-breaking 302,024 encounters at the U.S. southern border in December.
