Texas border crisis: Biden ready to 'shut down the border' if given authority
TEXAS - President Biden says he is ready to shut down the border if Congress passes a bipartisan bill giving him the authority to do it, but some Texas leaders do not seem convinced.
In a statement, President Joe Biden started it off, "for too long we all know the border’s been broken. It's long past time to fix it." The president went on to say he is ready to shut down the border if a bipartisan bill is passed by Congress giving him the authority to do so.
"I'm glad to hear President Biden say something he hadn't previously said, which is the border is broken. That's been obvious to most people who've been watching for the last three years," said Texas Senator John Cornyn.
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Senator Cornyn responded publicly to the President’s vow to act on the border by saying he is happy to work with the president, but he’s just not convinced by what he alludes to is a sudden change of heart.
"The president has the tools to do that now, and he's refused to do it now. Part of these negotiations will provide additional tools both for President Biden in the future and the next president, but I'm skeptical based on his past behavior." he said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott revealed early last week that more than six million migrants have crossed into the US in just the last three years under President Biden's term.
Senator Cornyn says the border is a disaster. He hopes this promise from President Biden is not one that gets broken for Texas's sake.
"The State of Texas has been left pretty much abandoned by federal immigration authorities and has had to try to step in through the national guard, through the department of public safety, and, Governor Abbott's tried to do extraordinary measures to try to protect the state because the federal government simply hadn't done the job. So, I'm always hoping people will change, including the President of the United States when it comes to his border policies, but frankly, I'm skeptical based on past behavior," said Senator Cornyn.