Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding what he termed the Biden-Harris border crisis. His comments come in the wake of President Biden's name being removed from the Democratic Party’s ticket.

“It’s been less than two weeks since President Biden’s name was removed from the Democratic Party’s ticket,” McConnell stated. He criticized the decision, arguing it deprived primary voters of their role in the electoral process and promoted someone with a failing record.

McConnell highlighted that early in their term, President Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with addressing illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, calling her “the most qualified person” for the job. However, McConnell argued that her tenure has resulted in a historic crisis at the southern border.

“Border Patrol agents have recorded over 9.9 million illegal encounters," McConnell said. "We know that nearly 2 million more have gotten away. And the Administration’s catch-and-release policies have let in over 3 million without any credible means of enforcing immigration law.”

He further emphasized national security concerns, stating that since October 2021, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had encountered 539 individuals on the terror watchlist along the southern border.

“The failure is vast. The facts are shocking. The numbers are staggering,” McConnell continued, pointing to personal tragedies faced by American families due to issues related to illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.

McConnell criticized Vice President Harris for what he described as a lack of seriousness in addressing these issues. “It took the Vice President months to get around to visiting the border,” he noted, adding that she had downplayed concerns by saying she hadn’t been to Europe either.

He also accused her of denial regarding border security issues, quoting her statements such as “we have a secure border” and “everything…is going rather smoothly.”

McConnell recalled Harris' previous opposition to certain immigration policies during her time as a senator, citing her reaction when a federal judge blocked efforts to deny federal funding to sanctuary cities: “‘It’s fantastic, I’m jumping up and down. Put five exclamation points after what I said.’”

He concluded by criticizing media coverage that he believes absolves Harris of responsibility for what he calls an undeniable crisis at the border: “Last week, we read headlines like ‘No, Kamala Harris is Not the ‘Border Czar’, and claims that ‘the vice president’s role was more limited.’”

McConnell closed his remarks by suggesting that American voters will express their dissatisfaction in November: “And in November, I expect they’ll have plenty to say about it.”

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