The continued inaction of Vice President Kamala Harris prompted 56 House Republicans to write a letter to Biden; in this letter, Republicans called for Biden to fire his vice president from the job of handling the series of issues at the border.
In the letter, 56 Republican lawmakers claimed that Harris hasn’t shown “adequate interest” to see the situation at the border firsthand. This inaction continues despite the fact that the country is facing a crisis that it hasn’t experienced over the most recent two decades.
The @VP STILL hasn't visited the border. You can't truly know the situation until you speak with people on the ground. I and 55 of my colleagues sent this letter to @POTUS demanding her removal from this position because 180k encounters, a 21-year high, is unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/PJE0RpgTaV
— Rep. Glenn Grothman (@RepGrothman) June 17, 2021
In the letter, Republicans also added that 85 days passed since Biden tapped Harris to address the crisis. Yet, the vice president never attempted to visit the border or even meet with Border Patrol agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, or local law enforcement officials to at least talk about the issue.
Over 80 days ago, Biden put Harris in charge of addressing the crisis on the Southern border. However, the vice president seemed to ignore the issue, and questions about it are answered with her signature chuckle.
White House: Harris to address “root causes” and not the border crisis per se
The White House stepped to her defense, saying that Harris is asked to address the “root causes” of the border crisis and not the border crisis itself. According to the Biden administration, the “root causes” are poverty, climate change, and violence in Central American countries.
In relation to this, Harris made a recent trip to Mexico and Guatemala. She met with leaders of the Central American countries to address the “root causes”. Accordingly, the vice president announced that the U.S. will invest in both countries to help address so-called “root causes”.
MIXED MESSAGES: In Guatemala, @VP Kamala Harris tells migrants "do not come" to the U.S.
But Homeland Security @SecMayorkas has said the opposite: "We are not saying 'don't come.'"
Meanwhile, border crossings remain the highest in 2 decades… #BidenBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/HWYe4jHZxt
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) June 7, 2021
Yet during her trip, Harris made a bold statement; she told migrants “do not come” to the border. This statement is in stark contrast to what she previously fought for, with the slogan “everyone is welcome here.”
Backlash from Both Sides
Due to this statement, both political parties slammed Harris. They condemned her speech and her flip-flopping sentiments about the crisis at the border. Yet, the vice president mentioned that her trip was a “success.”
To make things worst, Harris was also seen in a series of interviews getting irritated when asked when she will visit the border. Harris also consistently avoids questions related to her failure to visit the border.
The White House, in her defense, clarified that Harris is focused more on diplomatic talks, instead of everyone’s notion that she is in charge of addressing the border crisis.
Yet, Republicans insist that it is still crucial for the vice president to visit the border. This will help her fully comprehend the crisis, as well as the consistent surge of migrant encounters.
Republican lawmakers also condemned the Biden administration for the crisis and mentioned that the reversal of the Trump-era policies resulted in the surge.
