🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
President Joe Biden is offended that Americans do not believe he is taking border security seriously, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Border security has become difficult for Biden as his approval rating drops less than a year away from the 2024 presidential election. Republicans have accused him of not doing enough to handle an influx of migrants who have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border. There were more than 2.475 million encounters at the southern border in the fiscal year 2023, an increase from about 2.378 million in fiscal year 2022, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.
A reporter asked Jean-Pierre about the president's approach to border security during a press briefing on Tuesday, to which she responded Biden is offended by the notion he is not taking the matter seriously.
"I take offense, and I think the president does too when you say we haven't taken this seriously. When your first piece of legislation is on immigration to fix the broken system, that is taking it very seriously," Jean-Pierre said.
She pointed out that the Biden administration has taken action to try to send resources to the border amid an influx of migrants, adding that she believes Republicans are blocking progress on the issue.
She continued: "When you put out an emergency supplemental, which we put out weeks ago, that has funding for the border, we take that very seriously. And then you have Congress; they put forward HR2. They continue to get in the way—Republicans, to be more clear—on actually doing what the president is asking for."
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for further comment.
Biden has walked a fine line between working to address border security while maintaining support from progressives, who have been critical of some of his more centrist border policies. In October, he requested Congress pass a spending package that would include an additional $14 billion for the border.
The funding would support resources to fight against fentanyl by hiring more CBP agents for investigations and investing in new technology, hiring new border patrol agents and asylum officers, more detention beds, support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other priorities at the border.
The White House is also negotiating with Senate Republicans to pass broader legislation aimed at tackling immigration, an issue Congress has struggled to make progress on for years as the two major political parties remain divided over the matter. Negotiators have made progress but do not expect a deal by the end of the year, according to an Associated Press report.
Polls have found Americans disapprove of Biden's handling of immigration.
A recent Harvard-Harris poll found that only 38 percent of Americans gave him positive marks on immigration. Meanwhile, 28 percent of Americans said immigration is among the top issues facing the country.
The poll surveyed 2,034 registered voters from December 13 to 14
fairness meter
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more