The White House statement comes after a week of frantic negotiations in the Senate.
President Joe Biden on Friday urged Congress to pass a bipartisan bill to address the immigration crisis at the nation’s southern border, saying he would shut down the border the day the bill became law.
“What’s been negotiated would — if passed into law — be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country,” Biden said in a statement. “It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law.”
Biden’s Friday evening statement resembles a ramping up in rhetoric for the administration, placing the president philosophically in the camp arguing that the border may hit a point where closure is needed. The White House’s decision to have Biden weigh in also speaks to the delicate nature of the dealmaking, and the urgency facing his administration to take action on the border — particularly during an election year, when Republicans have used the issue to rally their base.
The president is also daring Republicans to reject the deal as it faces a make-or-break moment amid GOP fissures.
The election year eternal immigrant caravan strikes again. I get the move politically, but it’s unfortunate the GOP is so much better at messaging and controlling public focus than the Dems. They have no answer but to play the game on Republican terms.
Not that Republicans want to actually solve the issue because much like abortion it’s better to always be a looming scare tactic to use politically, but I kind of appreciate this move because the border is literally the only thing Republicans remotely have going into this election… And frankly, that isn’t much. This border crisis thing has gone on for years and no matter how much they try to use it against Dems, it ultimately doesn’t particularly impact voting outcomes all that much.
- They can’t talk about the economy.
- They can’t talk about covid.
- They can’t talk about Law & Order without being reminded of Trump’s 91 criminal charges.
… Border is all that is resonating a little with (frankly ignorant) voters.
dont forget abortion! they accidentally removed that from their list!
Yeah I was going to clarify… That completely backfired.
Like most issues: if we let Republicans completely have what they want, it is overwhelmingly unpopular. If we let Democrats have what they want, it is overwhelmingly popular, generally.
So why is the Biden administration doing what Republicans want here? Their name and our party’s name is going to be all over the overwhelmingly unpopular policies and Republicans are just going to keep saying the border’s a problem no matter what we do
Because no matter how one slices it, the “border issue” is the only thing that is resonating with voters.
The partisan split on the issue is broad, with 81 percent of Republicans, 68 percent of independents and 45 percent of Democrats saying conditions are worsening — 34 percent of Democrats said conditions are staying the same, while 21 percent said they’re improving.
It has overtaken Inflation as the #1 issue.
Because Democrats can’t actually do what needs to be done to solve the root problems of the border issue, the only option is to absorb the position of Republicans to take the wind out of their sails, and hopefully, be more responsible and discretionary in the process itself. Yeah Republicans will refuse to give Biden that victory, but Biden can still rebuttal in ads and on debate stages, “Oh yeah? I agreed to doing everything and more than what Republicans want and you’re still obstructing me!” (so in reality, like you said: nothing will change anyway because Republicans won’t actually endorse this and lose their last political bruiser, so what’s to lose?)
A link for that quote would be appreciated.
Because Democrats can’t actually do what needs to be done to solve the root problems of the border issue
They could be doing more to improve things and stop crap like this that makes it worse
absorb the position of Republicans to take the wind out of their sails
I have no earthly idea how you could think this will do that, it’s going to do the exact opposite by making all the people who aren’t really paying attention say “Gosh, I guess the Republicans must be right about this if the Democrats are trying to to pass their type of policies. I guess if we need a Republican approach to solve this totally real issue we should probably get it from a Republican government.”
Biden can still rebuttal in ads and on debate stages, "Oh yeah? I agreed to doing everything and more than what Republicans want
Republicans: “Biden’s lying or has Alzheimer’s, we wanted [xyz crap they make up on the spot] and Biden never offered it.”
Journalists: “Our fact checkers sai-”
Republicans: “Fake news”
Voters: “I like their confidence! And besides, when I think ‘tough’ on the border or crime or whatever, I know that isn’t Democrats, that’s the Republican’s thing! Maybe a Democrat will talk tough when they want to get reelected but they won’t ever really do it, and there is absolutely nothing that can happen to change my mind about this because I don’t pay attention to anything because the news depresses me.”
so what’s to lose?)
If this legislation does pass people will suffer and die
e; trying to be less of a sarcastic asshole
Sure.
They could be doing more to improve things and stop crap like this that makes it worse
This is conveniently ambiguous. What, specifically?
I have no earthly idea how you could think this will do that, it’s going to do the exact opposite by making all the people who aren’t really paying attention say “Gosh, I guess the Republicans must be right about this if the Democrats are trying to to pass their type of policies. I guess if we need a Republican approach to solve this totally real issue we should probably get it from a Republican government.”
Why would you think that and not, “Gosh, I think Democrats are actually doing a pretty good job and I really don’t want to vote for Trump, and since they seem to be trying to solve the border issue as well which was my chief concern, I really don’t have a reason to not vote for them now.”?
You have to remember that the independents / moderates / centrists in this country are pretty easily-swayed. They go with the currents. They get fixated on the national talking-points that tend to be governed by the onslaught of right-wing media propaganda that dominates the airwaves and social media.
If people are saying: “I like Democrats, but I am concerned about the border,” – what option do Democrats have BUT to at least LOOK like they’re cracking down on this issue (even if they know deep-down the premise is bullshit)?
- So you’re Biden.
- You can’t actually change the current events in any meaningful way with a split Congress and Republican border states unwilling to work with you.
- Yet you’re still being blamed publicly for not “handling” the border.
- Public polling is showing your team that this is the ONLY thing that is really sticking with swing voters.
- You know it’s all bullshit, but you can’t publicly state this because right-wing media propaganda is controlling the narrative.
- You know if you lose, someone proven far, far worse will get in and be orders-of-magnitude worse for such immigrants.
- So what do you do…?
- You Call the Bluff of Republicans. You say, “Okay let’s do it. But give me control to do it.”
- Republicans obviously won’t because they don’t actually want to do this; they just want to use it as a political tool to hammer Democrats with.
- Nothing changes, but now you can at least have a rebuttal come election season.
What is wrong with this, and what alternative do you offer, substantively, concretely?
If this legislation does pass people will suffer and die
It won’t. Trump already undermined it. And if it does, Democrats win the election and can reverse it instead of it just passing a year down the road and being in place for much, much longer with even more people dying.
Edit: Sorry I forgot to respond to this:
Voters: “I like their confidence! And besides, when I think ‘tough’ on the border or crime or whatever, I know that isn’t Democrats, that’s the Republican’s thing! Maybe a Democrat will talk tough when they want to get reelected but they won’t ever really do it, and there is absolutely nothing that can happen to change my mind about this because I don’t pay attention to anything because the news depresses me.”
Fairly, I do agree there are voters out there like this. The question is how many versus how many who go, “Well, at least I see Democrats are trying, and what difference is it when Trump said he’d build the wall but didn’t… So I think I’ll just go with the stable choice since the border was my #1 issue and that was my last concern for voting for Biden. Trump is otherwise just too risky…”
And I mean not to sound like a broken record, but what is the alternative plan – just ignore the fact that a majority of independents view this as a major concern and the border issue (again, manufactured as it is) is now the #1 issue with voters overall? Is that really a winning strategy?
Regardless, you and I aren’t privy to the massive amount of polling and focus groups these campaigns with millions of dollars have. Clearly, they have data that probably fills in the gaps that you and I can only otherwise speculate over.
Can someone explain to me why the border shouldn’t be closed except to legal travel?
Because it sounds to me like illegal travel SHOULD be stopped. People immigrating illegally are working for super low wages, increasing supply of labor and therefore lowering demand. It’s bad for workers. I know people say “Americans won’t do those jobs” but that’s because they are paying nothing since they can get highly desperate exploitable people. Labor should be on the side of restricted immigration.
Note I’m not talking about asylum, but the USA shouldn’t be the only place people go for asylum. It’s my impression that most immigrants are economic anyways.
There is no good reason except to create an underclass that provdes cheap labor. You know, like in 1860.
What a stupid thing to focus on. I hate that the southern border is even a topic people bring up. It’s a completely made up problem.
6 million illegals in 3 years. Its a problem. Hell a couple thousand caused problems for NYC. How do tiny border towns stand a chance?
You’re forgetting that the entire reason why so many people enter illegally* is because it’s next to impossible to enter legally unkess you have lots of connections in the US. Your average foreigner doesn’t stand a chance.
Don’t want 6 million people to enter illegally? Make it easier to enter legally. It’s that simple, yet people like you will never understand that. “Securing the border” only makes the problem worse. We should be opening it instead.
493,000 immigrant visas were given out in 2022. It’s extremely easy to enter, just too many too quick, and y’all have to wait your turn.
Eh, but how much of that is tourist visas. And where are they coming from.
I’m of the opinion that an open border with Mexico is an issue. Which just should not be controversial.
But I’m also married to someone who entered with a tourism visa. Legal immigration is nearly impossible in the US. There are very very few options for a person to enter the country and be on a path to a green card. Saying otherwise is purely ignorant.
Non immigrant visas are up to 6.8 million in 2022.
You should look at what the requirements look like for an immigrant Visa. The average person in South America does not have the ability to satisfy those requirements. But that doesn’t mean they are unable to become a valuable and contributing member of society.
I know people in the US that came here illegally and have gone on to become business owners. But only because they were able to meet and marry a US citizen.
There needs to be a legal path to entry. And we should be stopping the flood of people coming over the border at the same time.
We can only take so many, so quickly. What we’re doing now is completely unsustainable.
So why not select for the best and brightest?
Stand a chance to what?
Maintain infrastructure, pay for roads that can handle the traffic, pay for public schools that can handle the masses, pay for enough fire fighters and trucks, shit like that, and ramp up in the time frame of 3 years
That’s what taxes are for. Which undocumented immigrants pay.
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-immigrants-taxes-rent-vaccine-requirements-983035929946
They pay sales taxes, sure. But they don’t pay income or property taxes, not without an SSN. (Texas does not have an income tax, but has property taxes. The Feds have an income tax. Don’t be pedantic)
Undocumented immigrants pay income tax if they use someone else’s SSN or even without an SSN by using an ITIN
So you’re suggesting that illegal immigrants should steal identities to pay taxes?
Sorry… so you’re blaming immigrants for the fact that Texas’ tax regulations are severely fucked up?
Maybe Texas shouldn’t cater so much of their tax code to rich people? Shouldn’t that be the issue?
How is having property tax but not income tax fucked up? How does it cater to rich people, any more than having income tax?
Why do Democrats keep trying to appease Fascists?
Because this will undercut the only politically popular Republican position, which Republicans are currently wielding as a cudgel against the Biden Administration. In the process, Republicans are treating the people crossing the border worse and worse, increasing human suffering. If Biden can take control of the narrative of the border, there is a real possibility he can start to make things better and decrease human suffering.
“Just a few hundreds more people in concentration camps and thousands more deported, and we can finally stop the Republicans from imprisoning and deporting immigrants and refugees!”
Democrats having a normal one about human rights, eh?
Edit: This may be a good place to remind everyone that the people we’re de facto targeting with these policies are people with indigenous roots. This can and should be interpreted through the lens of colonialism and our ongoing genocide against Native groups.
Edit 2: Oh boy I cannot believe I have to say this, but these people with indigenous roots are not limited to Mexico and Central America. Does anyone know anything about history here?? My God, I’d assume if one is going to comment that one would at least have the slightest idea what they’re talking about.
Edit 3: And to the people who think it’s some kinda “gotcha” to point out that I’m disengaging from people who are shit-deep in the anti-immigrant hysteria, you got me. Nearly half my family are immigrants, some of whom have been detained and/or deported by our racist border policy, and I live surrounded by batshit conservatives. So yes, this is a sensitive and personal issue to me. If I wanted to talk to people like that, I’d go to the gas station or bar. Lemmy is my opportunity to talk to people who at the bare minimum agree on certain fundamental ideals, an opportunity I don’t have much in real life. I will block and report you for name calling or other uncivilized attacks on my character.
What, in the purview of an election year (and risk of putting someone obviously orders-of-magnitude worse for such people), with the right-wing border propaganda resonating with many voters, with GOP border states that don’t actually want to work with Biden, and with a divided Congress, do you want Biden to do?
It’s one thing to throw peanuts from the peanut gallery, but another to look at the pragmatic reality and actual viable options versus consequences.
Treating people’s lives like political pawns in a campaign is NOT okay. Stop trying to normalize this shit.
Don’t ever speak to me again. Enabling this shit is a horrible thing to do to people. Let’s put you in a camp or send you into a violent situation and see how much you like it. “BuT iT’s ElEcTiOn YeAr” I don’t care
I say again since you’re obviously deflecting: It’s one thing to throw peanuts from the peanut gallery, but another to look at the pragmatic reality and actual viable options versus consequences.
You can live with your idealistic pyrrhic victory while you naively reject the reality of the political consequences and put someone far worse in power. But you do you, buddy.
People like them have no actual solution, they just like screaming that you’re wrong while they’re right.
It’s almost like dealing with a MAGAt.
To have a solution, you first must have a problem. This isn’t one. It’s only a problem for racists.
Frankly it makes me wonder if they are. Unfortunately we know it’s a common tactic for them to pretend they’re leftist and wedge-drive to sow apathy.
If Biden can take control of the narrative of the border, there is a real possibility he can start to make things better and decrease human suffering.
There’s a possibility he can, but no possibility he will.
What other option does the Biden administration have when working with Republican border states, a split Congress, and a massive right-wing media megaphone of disinformation?
The great thing is that no matter how much he capitulates, Republicans will immediately scream that the borders are wide open.
He could be invading Mexico and shooting anything that moves and Republicans wouldn’t accept it as enough.
Partly true. So do nothing and accept that a majority of independents and even a sizable chunk of Democrats have concern over the (admittedly inflated) “border issue”?
No matter what Biden does, Republicans will ignore it and scream “open borders” anyway.
He gains nothing from this but the sheer joy Democrats experience when they throw vulnerable minorities under the bus.
Of course Republicans will. We write them off.
But we’re talking about swing voters and independents, and even some Democrats who have this as a top issue.
You lose those, you lose the election, and now life gets very bad for immigrants and minorities for years to come.
