Biden preempts GOP with border crisis expected to worsen.

Biden Takes the Offensive as Border Crisis Looms

The White House is gearing up for a fight as immigration once again takes center stage in American politics. With Title 42 set to expire next week and House Republicans pushing the Secure the Border Act, the Biden administration is pointing the finger back at the GOP.

Don’t Tell Me What You Value

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had this to say at Wednesday’s briefing: “The president has long said — and you’ve heard me say this as well — and he said this many, many times: Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value. Unfortunately, the Republican spending plan shows that they value tax giveaways to the rich more than they value law enforcement who keep our community safe.”

The debt ceiling may be dominating headlines, but illegal immigration and how to handle it will likely take over as the administration again faces one of its most vexing issues.

The Secure the Border Act

The 213-page House bill has two stated goals: to secure the border and to combat illegal immigration. The legislation would implement several new policies by forcing the administration to restart border wall construction, hire more Border Patrol agents, and end its “catch-and-release” policies, among other things.

The White House has worked to tie the debt ceiling and immigration together, claiming the Republican Limit, Save, Grow Act that would raise the debt ceiling is itself a threat to border security, calling it the “biggest vote to defund law enforcement in American history.”

Both Sides Look to Convince Voters

Both the White House and congressional Republicans will look to convince voters that they are the reasonable ones while painting the other side as extremist. A recent Trafalgar Group-Convention of States poll found that nearly 90% of voters blame the federal government for the border crisis and that more than half have no confidence at all that the government is focused on addressing it.

As for funding, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA) claims to have spoken to border agents who say they don’t need additional money to secure the border but rather a wholesale shift in federal immigration policy. “They’re willing and able to do the job,” Perry stated. “They need a president and a secretary of homeland security who will enforce current law.”

• The White House is sending out 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border in anticipation of a migration surge once Title 42 lifts.
• The Secure the Border Act faces long odds in the Senate and would likely meet a veto at President Joe Biden’s pen.
• The White House has also criticized GOPers for refusing to go along with its own immigration reform ideas.

It remains to be seen how this issue will play out, but one thing is certain: the border crisis is not going away anytime soon.

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