House GOP Sends Letter to Biden Urging Border Crisis Resolution

Over 60 House Republicans sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday, urging him to use executive action to fix the “catastrophe” at the southern border that he and his administration created.

“The responsibility for this crisis lies with you. Under your direction, your administration has intentionally and systematically undermined U.S. border security by perpetually refusing to enforce countless laws that have worked to secure our Southern Border and prevent illegal immigration,” the letter began.

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, authored the letter that 64 Republican lawmakers in the lower chamber signed to remind Biden that he used executive action to reverse every border policy instituted in Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House. Biden can now use executive action to reinstitute those policies.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged Biden in December “to immediately take executive actions available to you under immigration laws to stem the record tide of illegal immigration.” Hinson referenced Johnson’s letter and the inaction that followed.

“Your actions alone created this catastrophe, and you have the power to fix it,” Hinson wrote.

Biden said earlier this week that he needed power from Congress to close down the border, an assertion blasted by Republicans as laughable since the president didn’t ask for their permission to undo Trump’s policies through executive action. Further, Biden knows he has all the power he needs, Johnson said.

“He knows that he has the authority. We’ve documented it for him. I’ve read to him the law myself — to the president. Read him the provisions of the law and said, ‘Mr. President, please take action,'” Johnson said told Fox Business on Friday.

Hinson doubled-down in the letter.

“You can choose to direct your administration to vigorously enforce the laws on the books today, thereby stemming the tide of illegal immigration and protecting our communities. Or you can choose to perpetuate this national security and humanitarian crisis through your unequivocal failure of leadership for the American people,” the letter concluded.

Johnson also suggested that Biden’s staff is preventing him from using executive powers.

“I don’t think he’s allowed to do it. I’m not sure Joe Biden is actually making these decisions. I think it’s staff around him, and they’re pushing him to … keep the border open,” Johnson told Fox Business.

The urgency in the letter comes ahead of Sunday’s expected release of text from the bipartisan Senate border legislation, which Johnson has already said will be “dead on arrival” in the House. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to bring the bill up for a vote next week.

“The devil is in the details. We’ll check it out,” Johnson said on Fox Business. “I’m not prejudging anything, but I’ve told them the necessary elements of HR 2 are what are required to get control of the border. I’ve been consistent, and that’s our standard. We’ll be looking for that.”