The White House slammed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Wednesday for leading a Republican delegation to the U.S. southern border, accusing him of ducking a position on which they have been critical of the Biden administration.
Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's lack of immigration enforcement, with Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., telling Newsmax Monday that more than 10 million migrants have flowed into the U.S. since Biden took office.
Also on Monday, a source with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told Newsmax there were approximately 302,000 encounters at the southern border in December, the most recorded in a month in the nation's history.
"Instead of joining the Biden administration and members of both parties in the Senate to find common ground, Speaker Johnson is continuing to block President [Joe] Biden's proposed funding to hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents, hire more asylum officers and immigration judges, provide local communities hosting migrants additional grant funding, and invest in cutting edge technology that is critical to stopping deadly fentanyl from entering our country," White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates wrote in a statement, according to the Washington Examiner.
Johnson said Biden "has been derelict in his duty" to secure the border and that his policies have exacerbated the situation, The Hill reported.
"While the president requests more funds — not to stop illegal immigration, but to process more illegal immigrants through their 'catch and release' policy — he has undermined security at every turn," Johnson said. "From his decision to rescind the 'remain in Mexico' policy to the widespread abuse of the parole and asylum systems, there is a direct line between this administration's reckless policies and the record 300,000 illegal immigrants encountered at the southern border last month."
The House and Senate are at odds over a supplemental funding request by Biden in October for $105 billion to provide aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan and to address border security. The House in November passed a separate $14.5 billion aid package for Israel, and Republicans want strict border security measures attached to any kind of aid deal for Ukraine and Taiwan.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday negotiations are "closer than we have been" in past weeks to a deal, Politico reported. But chances a deal could be made this week are unlikely. Congress returns to session next week with a lot on its plate, including Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 deadlines for passing appropriations bills to fund the federal government.
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democrat in the border talks, said negotiators want a deal to present to lawmakers when they return next week, according to Politico.
"I think if the Senate gets something done in a bipartisan way, it will put enormous pressure on the House to get something done as well and not just [going to let] these hard-right people get up and say they're going to let the 30 of them to dictate how the whole country should work," Schumer said, according to Politico.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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