Republicans should not overpromise on border security
Conn Carroll
House Republicans absolutely should promise hearings and oversight of President Joe Biden’s disastrous handling of the southern border. But they should also be careful not to overpromise on what they can accomplish as long as Biden is still president. It appears they crossed this line Tuesday.
“Let me be clear: Those responsible for this disaster will be held accountable,” House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said at a press conference in El Paso on Tuesday. “If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action, and every failure to determine whether we can begin impeachment inquiries.”
This is all fine. Republicans should investigate every action Mayorkas has taken on the border. They should also force Mayorkas to release more detailed information about how many illegal immigrants he is releasing into the country every month. For a while, this data were being released under federal court order, but that order has expired, and Mayorkas no longer shares this information. Republicans should make him.
But McCarthy also tweeted out a video of his speech and wrote, “In 42 days, Biden’s open border closes. In 42 days, we end one-party rule. In 42 days, accountability is coming.”
Accountability is great. Ending one-party rule is also important. But Republicans can’t close Biden’s open border as long as Biden is in the White House.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who will lead the House Judiciary Committee, also seemed to overpromise what House Republicans can deliver. Jordan released a statement during McCarthy’s press conference promising he would “hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable for his failure to enforce immigration law and secure the border through all means necessary.”
Again, holding Mayorkas accountable is great. But there is only so much Republicans can do to force Biden to perform what is at the end of the day an executive function: enforcing immigration law.
The Democratic Party is controlled by an open borders elite that wants to import as much cheap labor as possible no matter what the majority of the voters want. Biden will never cross this group.
Even if he wanted to, Biden would need to summon the competence and the will to stare down Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who campaigned on a promise to flood the United States with as many immigrants from around the world as possible. Biden has neither the fortitude nor the savvy to get Obrador to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy that secured the border in 2019.
Only the president can secure the border. This is a promise only a Republican presidential candidate should make.
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