Front-line House Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to address the influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border through executive action as Republicans capitalize on the issue heading into the 2024 election.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) led 14 House Democrats in sending a letter to the president on Tuesday to use “all the tools at his disposal” to address security and fentanyl trafficking to allow for “orderly legal immigration.”
The Democrats, many of whom are running in competitive districts in November, blamed House Republicans for derailing immigration reform, when House GOP leadership refused to bring the Senate supplemental foreign aid bill to the floor, and using the issue for campaign purposes.
“We appreciate your good faith efforts on the bipartisan border agreement in the Senate,” the House Democrats wrote. “As such, this Congress had an opportunity to work together on a bipartisan basis to secure the border but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring that bill to us for debate because our House colleagues would rather see the crisis continue and use it as a campaign ad instead of actually addressing this national security issue.
“It is well past time for both parties to come together and agree on common-sense, bipartisan immigration reforms that both strengthen enforcement at the border and provide a path to citizenship for those who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the United States for many years,” the members continued.
Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Susie Lee (D-NV), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Pat Ryan (D-NY), Susan Wild (D-PA), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Val Hoyle (D-OR) joined Craig in signing the letter.
Most of the signatories are members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s 2024 Frontline Program, which helps vulnerable Democrats keep their seats. While several of them are defending “solid” or “likely” Democratic seats, Lee and Ryan are seeking reelection in “lean” Democrat seats, and Cartwright and Wild are in “toss-up” races.
Ryan blasted his Republican colleagues in a statement to the Washington Examiner, accusing them of using inaction at the southern border to “score political points.”
“After repeated refusals from Republicans to work with us to get the job done, it is time for President Biden to take matters into his own hands,” Ryan said. “We need to secure the border, stop the flow of dangerous fentanyl into our communities, and provide a path to citizenship for those who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the United States for many years.
“It’s time to come together as Patriots, put country ahead of party, and deliver for the Hudson Valley,” Ryan added.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment. During a press briefing on Tuesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she didn’t have “any announcement” regarding new executive orders from Biden for border security.
In his first year in office, Biden issued nearly 300 executive actions on immigration, compared to the 86 former President Donald Trump issued in his first year.
