Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Newsmax on Wednesday that the Democrats and President Joe Biden are likely "happy" with the crisis they've created at the United States-Mexico border the last two years.
"[Democrats] just can't tell the truth, because they know they created the problem [at the border]," said Biggs, while appearing on "Prime News."
"Quite frankly," Biggs added, "I think they actually seem to be happy with the problem."
For his Yuma, Arizona sector alone, Biggs said that encounters with illegal immigrants crossing the border went from less than 9,000 during the last year of the Trump administration ... to more than 350,000 encounters last year under the Biden administration.
Also, Biggs said Democrats like to talk about the additional money they're spending on the issue — but it doesn't go toward securing the border.
Instead, that money makes it easier for Border Patrol officials to release the migrants caught inside the U.S. border.
One reason for the chaos on President Biden's watch: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has lost effective control of the border, lamented Biggs, who added that Mayorkas needs to go.
On Wednesday, Democratic Party members of the House Homeland Security Committee boycotted a hearing in South Texas and then criticized Republican members for holding it.
"After careful consideration, Committee Democrats have decided not to participate in the Republicans' field hearing this week," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told the Washington Examiner in a statement Tuesday.
Thompson continued: "Unfortunately, it has become clear that Republicans planned to politicize this event from the start, breaking with the committee's proud history of bipartisanship. Instead of a fact-finding mission to develop better border security and immigration policies, Republicans are traveling to the border to attack the administration and try to score political points with their extreme rhetoric — despite having voted against the resources border personnel need."
As a counter statement, Republican Committee Chair Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., told the Examiner he was "disappointed" that Democrat members refused to attend the hearing.
"It's deeply disappointing that the minority members of the committee have chosen to bail on this week's full committee field hearing in Texas, only after they invited and confirmed a minority witness for one of the panels," Green said in a Tuesday statement.
Biggs said his Democrat colleagues need to visit the border to really understand this crisis.
"We need our colleagues to go down there," Biggs said. "When [the House] Judiciary [Committee] was down there, we heard them giving similar testimony. We had testimony in front of the [House] Oversight Committee about a month ago, same thing."
Biggs then added, "We don't have control over the border."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!