Democrats Ignore Call for Hearing on #BidenBorderCrisis for 100 Days
Republican lawmakers have repeatedly called for a hearing on the humanitarian and national security crisis at the border
WASHINGTON—Tomorrow marks 100 days since House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Committee Republicans first called on Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) to hold a hearing on President Biden’s border crisis. On March, 4, 2021, Republican lawmakers called on Chairwoman Maloney to hold hearing on the crisis at the southwest border. Then, again on March 25, 2021 and on June 2, 2021, the lawmakers renewed their calls. During this time, migrant children in custody have surged from about 7,000 to 20,000.
“For 100 days, Chairwoman Maloney and Oversight Democrats have failed to hold a single hearing on President Biden’s border crisis,” said Ranking Member Comer. “During this time, masses of children have been held in overcrowded facilities during a pandemic and past the legal timeframe, apprehensions at the southwest border are at a 21-year high, the human smuggling industry is booming, and deadly drugs like fentanyl are pouring across the border. Oversight Democrats held multiple hearings on the treatment of children at the border under the previous administration, but it seems they no longer care about this issue when a Democrat occupies the White House.”
This week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released their May 2021 operational update, showing southwest border encounters reached a 21-year high. In May alone, over 180,000 migrants were encountered along the southwest border, including over 121,000 single adults; nearly 45,000 family units; and over 14,000 unaccompanied children. Since January 2021, there have been nearly 712,000 illegal crossings along the southwest border, up 380% from the same time period last year. Additionally, 7,450 pounds of fentanyl have been seized this fiscal year alone, far surpassing the 4,776 pounds seized in all of Fiscal Year 2020.
Ranking Member Comer added, “Migrants have made it clear they are coming to the United States because of President Biden’s open border policies. President Biden created this crisis by announcing to the world he wants to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants and by rolling back deterrent policies aimed at curbing illegal immigration. It’s past time Oversight Democrats hold this administration accountable for the humanitarian and national security crisis unfolding at the border.”
Oversight Republicans have documented the timeline of the Biden Border Crisis, which began on day one of President Biden’s presidency when he started dismantling deterrence policies and proposing to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants. The timeline can be found HERE.