White House claims ‘we did our job’ on border safety, blames Republicans for lack of progress

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The White House on Friday insisted that House Republicans stand in the way in which of an answer to what President Biden has referred to as a “broken” immigration system.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t remark on stories that Biden could take govt motion to safe the border, apart from responsible House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the House GOP convention for inaction on immigration. 

“For the past several months, we worked with Republican senators and also Democrats in the Senate to try to come up with a fair and tough piece of legislation that would deal with border security,” Jean-Pierre informed reporters on the each day White House press briefing. She famous {that a} bipartisan deal reached final month had been endorsed by the Border Patrol union earlier than it was declared “dead on arrival” by Johnson.

“Speaker Johnson has gotten in the way of this,” she added later. “We did our job. The Senate did their job in a bipartisan approach. 

BIDEN ADMIN WEIGHS EXECUTIVE ACTION ON BORDER CRISIS, DRAWING FIRE FROM LEFT AND RIGHT

Karine Jean-Pierre

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre talks to reporters during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on February 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Senate bill endorsed by Biden would have increased staffing and resources at the border while limiting the ability of migrants to claim asylum and providing additional funding to communities and NGOs receiving migrants. However, conservatives have said the bill does not go far enough and would normalize high levels of illegal immigration.  

Earlier Friday, Biden told members of the National Governors Association that Congress needs to pass bipartisan immigration reform. 

“Congress has had an extended, proud historical past — a bipartisan historical past — on immigration reform and abiding by our worldwide treaty obligations, which we signed associated to immigration. These reforms made America a nation of legal guidelines, a nation of immigrants and the strongest economic system on the planet,” the president said. “But one thing modified. Over time, our legal guidelines and our assets have not saved up with our immigration system, and it is damaged. And our politics has failed to repair it.” 

He described the failed Senate bill as the “most honest and humane reforms in a very long time.” 

7.2M ENTERED THE US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES

Biden speaks at White House

President Joe Biden speaks to the National Governors Association during an event in the East Room of the White House on Friday, Feb. 23, in Washington.  (AP/Evan Vucci)

“I did not get all the pieces I wished in it. It additionally included the hardest set of reforms to safe the border ever in historical past. The Border Patrol chief himself mentioned, ‘We need more people. We need more agents on the line,’” he said. 

“Our bipartisan invoice bought the Border Patrol the brokers they want. It funded and employed 1,500 extra brokers and officers, 100 extra immigration judges, 4,300 extra asylum officers to get asylum selections in months as a substitute of years,” he continued. 

SEN BILL HAGERTY SAYS DEMS ENGAGING IN ‘SHEER POWER GRAB’ BY TOLERATING BORDER ‘CARNAGE’

Mike Johnson addresses intelligence on Russian nuclear threat

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (C), joined by House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) (L) and House Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-CT) speak following a briefing with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the U.S. Capitol on February 15, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

He also blamed Johnson for the bill’s failure. 

“But then, as everyone knows, petty politics intervened. The speaker of the House has refused to vote on the invoice, although, once more, there’s important help,” Biden said. “Talk to your Republican colleagues, there are the votes on that flooring to move that invoice. All of a sudden, individuals began to go silent, however they’re in a troublesome spot. Tell that to the Border Patrol that we won’t get this finished.” 

With immigration reform stalled in Congress, multiple outlets reported that the White House is eyeing potential executive action to tackle the migrant crisis. An administration source told Fox News that the president is considering executive action to restrict the ability of migrants to claim asylum, but that it’s one of “a number of” plans being looked at.

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Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday that no final decisions have been made and refused to comment on any “particular person coverage possibility” that’s being considered. 

“We wish to be certain, the president has been very clear, he desires to make it possible for our nation is safer and we want extra border safety, clearly, to safe our border. And we wish to do it whereas treating individuals pretty and humanely.” 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

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