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House Republicans may tie immigration reform to gov’t funding as shutdown looms

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Some of the most conservative House Republicans are willing to shut down the government to address the nation’s immigration challenges. House Speaker Mike Johnson and 64 GOP colleagues visited Eagle Pass, Texas on Wednesday, Jan. 3, emphasizing their control over budget decisions just two weeks before the government funding deadline.

Migrants are taken into custody by officials at the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is leading about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit to the Mexican border. Their trip comes as they are demanding hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing President Joe Biden's emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Associated Press

“What we saw today only made House Republicans more resolved to stand for sanity and the American people,” Johnson said during a news conference. “And we will do it. If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America’s national security here.”

Republicans pressed the Biden administration to reinstate the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy, urging executive action.

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“Are we going to force that sentence, that solution on a piece of legislation to get this done?” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, asked.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, walks with Texas Department of Public Safety chief Steve McCraw, center, and, Lt. Chris Olivarez, right, near the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Associated Press

Biden administration officials criticized the trip as a political maneuver.

“They’re playing political games,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “They’re doing political stunts.”

Jean-Pierre highlighted Republican contradictions, pointing out their prior vote to decrease the amount of Border Patrol agents by 2,000.

While Republicans haven’t explicitly advocated for cutting border agents, budget proposals from the House Freedom Caucus could result in a reduction of 2,000 border staff positions.

Republican members of Congress look on as migrants cross the Rio Grande at the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Associated Press

Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked on addressing border security, with Texas at the forefront of the battle. The Department of Justice is actively suing Texas over its new law allowing state law enforcement to arrest and deport migrants who entered illegally.

Senate Democrats support a $110 billion supplemental package, including aid for Ukraine and Israel, alongside funding for border security, excluding Republican demands for immigration reform.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks while standing with Republican members of Congress, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. Johnson is leading about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit to the Mexican border. Their trip comes as they are demanding hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing President Joe Biden's emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Associated Press

Speaker Johnson expressed reservations about supporting a bipartisan funding compromise without reform, criticizing the Biden administration’s response to border security efforts in Texas. As the countdown to a potential government shutdown looms, Republicans are discussing tying immigration legislation to the budget, emphasizing concerns about national security and the economy. 

“None of us want to shut down the government, but we all recognize the fact that every single penny that we are giving to homeland security at this point is not being used to secure our border, that is not being used to increase our national security, but it’s doing the exact opposite,” Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said.

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[RAY BOGAN]

SOME OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY THEY ARE WILLING TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT IF MORE ACTION ISN’T TAKEN TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION.

HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON AND 64 OF HIS G-O-P COLLEAGUES VISITED EAGLE PASS, TEXAS WEDNESDAY. 

THE VISIT COMES TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE DEADLINE TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT.

ACCORDING TO FOX REPORTER BILL MELUGIN, THE MESSAGE FROM CONSERVATIVE LAWMAKERS, INCLUDING FREEDOM CAUCUS MEMBERS, IS: “shut the border down, or we’ll shut the government down. We control the money.”

[REP. MIKE JOHNSON | (R) HOUSE SPEAKER (JAN 3, 2024)]

What we saw today only made House Republicans more resolved to stand for sanity and the American people. And we will do it If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America’s national security here. 

[RAY BOGAN]

REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING ON PRESIDENT BIDEN TO REINSTATE THE TRUMP-ERA “REMAIN IN MEXICO” POLICY WHICH REQUIRES ASYLUM SEEKERS TO WAIT IN MEXICO WHILE THEY’RE CLAIMS ARE ADJUDICATED. PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE POLICY INHUMANE.

[REP. JIM JORDAN | (R) OHIO (JAN 3, 2024)]

Are we going to force that sentence, that solution on a piece of legislation to get this done? That should be our charge. If we don’t, then we’re going to have to wait. Then we’re going to have to wait for the presidential election and hope that President Trump is the new president where we can get back to the policies at work.

[RAY BOGAN]

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS CRITICIZED THE TRIP AND SAY REPUBLICANS ARE NOT MAKING A SINCERE EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITIES OF BORDER SECURITY.

[KARINE JEAN-PIERRE | WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY (JAN 3, 2024)]

They’re doing political stunts.
They’re getting in the way and they don’t want to help. But we’re glad that we are working with Senate Republicans and Democrats in a bipartisan way to come up with a bipartisan agreement to deal with border security.

[RAY BOGAN]

MEANWHILE, SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE PUSHING TO APPROVE THE PRESIDENT’S 1-HUNDRED-10 BILLION DOLLAR SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE, WHICH INCLUDES AID FOR UKRAINE AND ISRAEL, ALONGSIDE FUNDING FOR BORDER SECURITY. 

[KARINE JEAN-PIERRE | WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY (JAN 3, 2024)]

Our Border Patrol agents need more resources. We need more immigration judges. We need more resources to get this done. We need the technology at the border to deal with what’s going on with migrants at the border.

[RAY BOGAN]

REPUBLICANS IN BOTH CHAMBERS SAY THEY WON’T SUPPORT THAT PACKAGE UNLESS IT CONTAINS ASYLUM AND PAROLE REFORMS. BUT NOW, THESE HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING ALL GOVERNMENT FUNDING IS ON THE TABLE. 

[REP. BETH VAN DUYNE | (R)TEXAS (JAN 3, 2024)]

None of us want to shut down the government, but we all recognize the fact that every single penny that we are giving to homeland security at this point is not being used to secure our border, that is not being used to increase our national security, but it’s doing the exact opposite. It is weakening it.