The White House on Wednesday blasted House Republicans’ upcoming trip to the border as a “partisan publicity stunt,” stating that President Biden is committed to improving border security while his political opponents are engaged in empty gesturing.
“House Republicans should spend less time on partisan publicity stunts and more time working on solutions,” Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson, told The Hill. “Solutions are what President Biden is focused on, and his plan is working. House Republicans would be wise to join him to work together to strengthen our immigration system and fund border security.”
On Thursday, freshmen GOP lawmakers will accompany Speaker Kevin McCarthy to the southern border to scope out the deteriorating situation there, where an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants has poured into the interior. McCarthy will be joined by Republican Representatives Juan Ciscomani, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Jen Kiggans, and Derrick Van Orden.
The Republican delegation will visit the Tucson Sector in Arizona, an area covering 262 border miles that is known for a high rate of illegal-alien apprehensions and marijuana seizures. The members of Congress will be guided through the zone by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and will be given an aerial tour, McCarthy said.
Republicans have slammed the Biden administration for its mismanagement of the border crisis, which in recent months has spiraled into an outright catastrophe. January marked the 23rd consecutive month with over 150,000 illegal crossings. Border encounters have skyrocketed in the past few years, from 100,000 in February 2021 to more than 250,000 in December 2022. Biden has visited the border only once — in early January, nearly two years into his presidency.
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce went to McAllen, Texas, to see how local communities have been affected by the essentially porous border. The committee held a hearing about why the border crisis is a serious public-health threat, given the ongoing trafficking of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States.