On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee will hold its very first field hearing on the Border Crisis. DHS Committee Chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) announced this event in February with the intention of giving all lawmakers on the committee—Democrat and Republican—a first-hand look at the communities that have been impacted by the consistent illegal immigrant surge at the Southern Border.
The House Homeland Security Committee announced last month that it would hold its first field hearing on the crisis at the southern border on March 15, giving Republicans a chance to highlight what they say is the direct link between the chaos and disorder at the border and the Biden administration’s policies.
The hearing is scheduled to take place in McAllen, Texas, and is in line with Republican promises to close in on the crisis, now into its third year.
After last weekend’s surge of illegal immigrants on the Del Norte Bridge between Mexico and El Paso, Tex., my colleague Nick Arama wrote:
This is concerning if people can rush the border like this and put these guys in danger. This is extremely concerning if the border can be overwhelmed if the crowd is big enough. The CBP who are there seem to be doing what they can, but they are outnumbered.
But that’s the situation that Joe Biden has left us with, with his failure to truly address all the issues at the border. What if these were people were armed? At this point the aliens are so bold they think they can just push their way right in. Not only aren’t we getting any real defense from Joe Biden, but illegal immigration is now costing U.S. taxpayers $151 billion a year, marking a 30 percent increase in five years, according to a new study by an immigration group released this past week. So we’re paying much more for far less.
Democrats had plenty of time to ensure their attendance, and with the continued evidence over the past two years of Democrat failure to do anything to secure the border, you would think they would be chomping at the bit to do some photo ops and make some speeches to show they are interested in actually addressing this crisis. Sadly, Democrats on the DHS Committee have decided that posturing, rather than assessing the damage and working on solutions, is what is required.
Fox News Correspondent Bill Melugin posted on Twitter:
BREAKING: House Homeland Security Committee Chairman @RepMarkGreen tells us he has just learned all Democrats on the committee are pulling out from attending a field hearing about the border crisis in Texas on Wednesday. He says that’s despite several Dems confirming attendance,… https://t.co/S16d1fHWiT pic.twitter.com/valGznpVp7
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) March 13, 2023
BREAKING: House Homeland Security Committee Chairman @RepMarkGreen tells us he has just learned all Democrats on the committee are pulling out from attending a field hearing about the border crisis in Texas on Wednesday. He says that’s despite several Dems confirming attendance, & inviting their own minority witness, who is confirmed on the federal panel. US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz is also set to testify. Chairman Green says he was given no reason for the abrupt pullout. Chairman Green’s statement below.
Rep. Mark Green’s statement:
“It’s deeply disappointing that the minority members of the Committee have chosen to bail on this week’s full committee field hearing in Texas, only after they invited and confirmed a minority witness for one of the panels. The only message their absence sends is that they are uninterested in coming to the table to have a conversation about the devastation that this border crisis is having on Americans and their communities across the country.”
Fox News Congressional correspondent Aisha Hasnie confirmed with House Democrats that they would not be in attendance. They also denied that they ever expressed that they would attend. Rep. Green spoke further with Fox News:
He added that the committee will continue to encourage Democratic colleagues to step out of the “DC echo chamber” to meet with Americans about the biggest issues they face.
All Democrats on the House Homeland Security committee are boycotting Wednesday’s field hearing on the border crisis here in the RGV. They will be missing out on testimony from United States Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, @USBPChief, who is set to testify as a federal witness.
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) March 13, 2023
All Democrats on the House Homeland Security committee are boycotting Wednesday’s field hearing on the border crisis here in the RGV. They will be missing out on testimony from United States Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, @USBPChief, who is set to testify as a federal witness.
This is what they claim is the “issue” with their attendance.
STATEMENT from Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D):
“After careful consideration, Committee Democrats have decided not to participate in the Republicans’ field hearing this week. Unfortunately, it has become clear that Republicans planned to politicize this event from the start,… https://t.co/Z07ZtiGJ4U
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) March 13, 2023
“After careful consideration, Committee Democrats have decided not to participate in the Republicans’ field hearing this week. Unfortunately, it has become clear that Republicans planned to politicize this event from the start, breaking with the Committee’s proud history of bipartisanship. Instead of a fact-finding mission to develop better border security and immigration policies, Republicans are traveling to the border to attack the Administration and try to score political points with their extreme rhetoric – despite having voted against the resources border personnel need. Committee Democrats are in regular contact with Department leadership and stakeholders on the ground and will be taking substantive site visits to the border – including as soon as this week.”
One would think that working to resolve the Border crisis would be enough impetus for them to get over it. What politicization does Rep. Thompson speak of? What letter is behind Joe Biden’s name? As far as I can read and view, there has been news copy and video evidence that confirms facts on the ground are pretty consistent with what Republicans have been speaking about and advocating for resolution. What fact-finding were the Democrats thinking would not happen? And any “extreme rhetoric” seems to be only coming from one side, and it is not Republicans. This has less to do with a need for resources and more to do with establishing concrete policy that will beef up enforcement and stop the rampant influx of illegal immigrants into the United States.
There were over 1.7 million migrant encounters in 2021 and more than 2.3 million in 2022. We are in mid-March, and according to Fox News, the latest influx is expected to exceed those numbers soon.
Democrats just cannot help themselves, even when facts and optics are not in their favor.
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