Biden administration hits back at Republican attempts to kill compromise legislation intended to curb migrant arrivals at the southern border
Good morning, US politics blog readers. The White House is kicking this week off by hitting back against Republican attempts to sink compromise legislation intended to curb migrant arrivals on the southern border, and also at plans by the House GOP to impeach homeland security chief Alejandro Mayorkas. A bipartisan group of senators has for weeks been bargaining over a bill to reform the immigration system to better handle the surge in migrants, but last week, key Republicans in both the Senate and House – including speaker Mike Johnson – suggested they wouldn’t support whatever deal they reach. Johnson also announced the GOP would move forward this week on impeaching Mayorkas, even though the Democratic-controlled Senate is almost certain to reject the charges against him.
Neither development is pleasing to the Biden administration, and this morning, the White House attacked Johnson over his assertion that no immigration legislation is needed because the president has the authority to “close” the border with Mexico, pointing out instances in the past where the speaker has said the opposite. They also steered reporters to a Wall Street Journal op-ed from a former Republican homeland security chief opposing the charges against Mayorkas. Expect many more salvos in this war of words to be fired over the course of today.
Biden has vowed a response to an attack in Jordan that killed three US service members, which it blamed on Iran-supported militias. Follow our live blog for the latest on the crisis.
Kamala Harris continues her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour today with a conversation with actor Sophia Bush, as the Biden administration looks to promote abortion access.
We’ll hear more about both the border and the attack in Jordan at 1.30pm eastern time, when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and national security council spokesman John Kirby brief the press.
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