(USNewsMag.com) – The White House is demanding House Speaker and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson give President Joe Biden the authority to secure the border, according to a Jan. 29 memo.
The comments from the White House come after Johnson posted on Twitter denouncing Biden’s support of the border security package backed by the Senate.
For weeks, a bipartisan group of senators has been negotiating with the Biden administration to create a deal for border security. The deal would be part of the Democrats’ proposed $106 billion supplemental funding request, which includes funding for Ukraine and Israel and other issues. In a statement on Jan. 26, Biden stated he would shut down the border “when it becomes overwhelmed” if the Senate’s border security legislation passes Congress.
In the post on Twitter, Johnson stated that Biden could use an executive order to solve the border crisis instead of waiting for legislation to be passed by Congress. Johnson listed several things Biden could do “to reverse the catastrophe he has created.” The list is the same as Johnson said he had included in a letter to Biden, which calls for reinstating the Trump administration policy Remain in Mexico, restarting construction of the border wall and expanding the use of expedited removal authority.
In response to Johnson’s comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in the memo that if Johnson wants to solve the border crisis immediately, then “he should give this administration the authority and funding” being requested. Jean-Pierre also referenced the House bill H.R. 2, which Johnson supports.
Raj Shah, Johnson’s spokesman, responded to Jean-Pierre by stating that Johnson has consistently said, “National security starts at our own border.” Shah added that Biden could close the border “with the stroke of a pen.” He urged Biden and the Senate to support the bill H.R. 2, known as the Secure the Border Act, to solve the crisis at the border.
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