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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
