House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) just blasted President Joe Biden over reports that he may finally take action to address the southern border crisis.
Johnson did so in a statement that he released, through his office, on Wednesday.
The statement can be read in its entirety here:
My statement regarding President Biden finally admitting he has the authority to address the border catastrophe he has created: pic.twitter.com/GUWeeb05pW
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 22, 2024
In recent days, reports have been published indicating that the Biden administration is thinking about finally taking action to address the southern border crisis.
CBS News reports:
President Biden is debating whether to invoke a sweeping presidential authority that gained infamy during the Trump administration to stage a crackdown on migrants coming to the U.S. southern border, three people familiar with the plans told CBS News.
There is little doubt that the only reason Biden is considering this is that he is running for reelection and he is getting hammered in the polls over his administration's mishandling of the southern border.
The data shows that more than 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered America since Biden took office. Experts suggest that the actual number may be significantly higher, for the 7.2 million figure only represents those illegal immigrants that Border Patrol knows about.
The situation is not improving at all in the 2024 fiscal year. In fact, it is getting worse. Border Patrol has already witnessed new monthly records, as about 1 million illegal immigrants are already believed to have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in the first four months of the 2024 fiscal year.
Johnson, in his statement, responded to these reports that Biden is finally looking to take action. In Johnson's view, this is nothing more than an "election gimmick" designed to try to fool the American people.
"Last year, I sent a letter to the President to demand he take immediate executive action. He has thus far ignored my demands . . ." Johnson wrote.
He continued:
Now, in an election year, after the president has surrendered the border to cartels and smugglers, after tens of thousands of Americans have tragically lost their lives due to fentanyl poisoning, after countless unaccompanied minors and young people have been subjected to human trafficking, and after millions of illegal aliens have been scattered by the Biden administration throughout our country - the President suddenly seems interested in trying to make a change using the legal authority that he claimed until recently didn't exist.
Johnson went on to write that "Americans have lost faith in this president and won't be fooled by election year gimmicks that don't actually secure the border."
The House speaker concluded by suggesting various things that Biden can do if he is "serious" about addressing the southern border crisis.
