Democrats urge Biden for executive action on border security
TL/DR –
Fifteen House Democrats have urged President Biden to use his executive powers to secure the U.S. border amid a partisan stalemate in Congress. In their letter, the Democrats, many of whom face competitive re-election contests, stated that the situation remains untenable and, with Republicans blocking a bipartisan border bill earlier in the year, it falls to the Biden administration to act. The lawmakers have called on the president to use all tools at his disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the Southern border, intercept illicit fentanyl, and facilitate orderly legal immigration.
US Democrats Urge Biden to Use Executive Powers on Border Security
Fifteen House Democrats are urging President Biden to leverage his executive authorities to improve the border situation, citing Congressional gridlock as a barrier.
In a recent letter to the president, they insisted that the enduring solution to halt migrant influx and fentanyl flow calls for bipartisan legislative action. However, after a bipartisan border bill was blocked earlier, they believe the White House can fill the void.
The lawmakers wrote, “It’s time for your administration to act as the current situation remains untenable and Republicans are politicising border security. We urge you to use all tools at your disposal to ensure security at the southern border, halt illicit fentanyl, and manage orderly legal immigration.”
The letter was led by Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and backed by 14 other vulnerable Democrats identified by the Cook Political Report who fear the border issue could jeopardize their reelection chances as Republicans capitalize on voter anxieties about immigration.
Earlier this year, a deal on stricter border security measures, tied to a substantial foreign aid package, was reached by bipartisan senators but derailed after ex-President Trump urged Republicans to withhold support for border reforms pre-election. This led to Republicans criticizing the agreement as insufficient, eventually causing its downfall in the upper chamber.
Democrats criticized Republicans for dropping the border issue, accusing them of missing the chance to realise bipartisan immigration reforms. However, these criticisms haven’t improved the southern border conditions, where thousands of migrants arrive daily seeking asylum, leading to intensifying GOP attacks on Biden’s crisis management.
In their letter, Democrats accused Republicans of deliberately neglecting the issue to use it against Democrats in campaigns. They also urged Biden to implement executive solutions, referencing the pervasive fentanyl crisis and the struggles of local governments to provide housing and services for asylum seekers.
“All constituents, regardless of our district, have felt the current border situation’s impacts,” they wrote.
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