The White House statement comes after a week of frantic negotiations in the Senate.

The White House statement comes after a week of frantic negotiations in the Senate.

President Joe Biden on Friday urged Congress to pass a bipartisan bill to address the immigration crisis at the nation’s southern border, saying he would shut down the border the day the bill became law.

“What’s been negotiated would — if passed into law — be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country,” Biden said in a statement. “It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law.”

Biden’s Friday evening statement resembles a ramping up in rhetoric for the administration, placing the president philosophically in the camp arguing that the border may hit a point where closure is needed. The White House’s decision to have Biden weigh in also speaks to the delicate nature of the dealmaking, and the urgency facing his administration to take action on the border — particularly during an election year, when Republicans have used the issue to rally their base.

The president is also daring Republicans to reject the deal as it faces a make-or-break moment amid GOP fissures.

  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
    174·
    11 months ago

    If Biden can take control of the narrative of the border, there is a real possibility he can start to make things better and decrease human suffering.

    There’s a possibility he can, but no possibility he will.

    • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1013·
      11 months ago

      What other option does the Biden administration have when working with Republican border states, a split Congress, and a massive right-wing media megaphone of disinformation?

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        171·
        11 months ago

        The great thing is that no matter how much he capitulates, Republicans will immediately scream that the borders are wide open.

        He could be invading Mexico and shooting anything that moves and Republicans wouldn’t accept it as enough.

        • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
          25·
          11 months ago

          Partly true. So do nothing and accept that a majority of independents and even a sizable chunk of Democrats have concern over the (admittedly inflated) “border issue”?

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
            61·
            11 months ago

            No matter what Biden does, Republicans will ignore it and scream “open borders” anyway.

            He gains nothing from this but the sheer joy Democrats experience when they throw vulnerable minorities under the bus.

            • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
              26·
              11 months ago

              Of course Republicans will. We write them off.

              But we’re talking about swing voters and independents, and even some Democrats who have this as a top issue.

              You lose those, you lose the election, and now life gets very bad for immigrants and minorities for years to come.

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                2·
                11 months ago

                Of course Republicans will. We write them off.

                We do? Because it sure looks like we’re appeasing them.

                But we’re talking about swing voters and independents, and even some Democrats who have this as a top issue.

                They know better and choose to accept Republican bullshit already. They’re gonna keep accepting Republican bullshit.

                You lose those, you lose the election, and now life gets very bad for immigrants and minorities for years to come.

                And when this round of appeasements fails to work, the same rhetoric will persist and continue to work. And we’ll keep hearing that we need to treat them worse and worse to appease people for whom treating them worse is the only goal.

                • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  13·
                  11 months ago

                  I say again:

                  • The border issue is a top concern for independents, swing voters, and even many Democrats, based on polling just this week.

                  • If Democrats don’t win the independents and swing-voters, they lose. Period.

                  • When they lose, you may be happy with your pyrrhic victory, but immigrants and minorities under Trump and Republicans sure won’t. Congratulations. You just accelerated the pain and misery for these people.

                  Unless you can tell me how Democrats can magically win without actually appealing to what independents and swing voters’ are telling you is their top concern, then I think we’re done here because this defies all reason and patterns of election history.

                  If you’re pissed off that Democrats are doing this, perhaps you should redirect your focus on why these people believe this is an issue in the first place and address the root of the problem.

                  And it just so happens that when you discover the root of the problem is right-wing media propaganda and its grip on the national narrative, one realizes democrats must often play the game under this unfortunate reality. Because while you’re busy driving wedges on Democrats, Republicans rhetoric is lockstep.

                  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                    21·
                    11 months ago

                    I’ll say it again: capitulation won’t work.

                    I know it’ll make you feel good to throw desperate people under the bus, but that’s all this will accomplish.

      • NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social
        84·
        11 months ago

        I mean, we’re currently seeing exactly how much Biden thinks of poor brown people.

        Spoiler alert it’s not very much, it might even be a negative amount.