Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Sunday laid the blame on President Joe Biden for the immigration surge at the U.S. border with Mexico.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Cassidy called the influx of immigrants, including the largest number of apprehensions of unaccompanied minors since May 2019, a “crisis.”
“Empirically it is entirely” the fault of Biden, he said. “You can’t help but notice that the administration changes and there is a surge.”
The senator said during his recent visit, he heard a Biden’s adviser say in Spanish that the border was not closed — only to then say in English that she misspoke.
“I can tell you the Spanish version is being heard, not the English,” he said,.
“When people think they can get in, they begin sending their unaccompanied child on a train ride across Mexico where she may be kidnapped and trafficked, on the hope that they’re going to be waved through at the border,” he said.
Cassidy warned there’s evidence that the Biden administration expects the number of unaccompanied children trying to cross the border will only grow.
“They’re sending FEMA for reinforcements — not for today, not for tomorrow, but for three weeks from now,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy also blasted the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that the Senate passed.
“The money that is there for education will be spent in the out years,” the senator said. “That’s not related to COVID. If everybody is vaccinated by June then it’s clearly not related to COVID.”
“Republicans offered an alternative which included that sort of money for those who needed it,” he added.
“You would have had bipartisan[support] for that,” he said, adding: “The dollars are there now for the needs that are there now” without the relief package.
The relief measure, which passed on party-line votes in both the House and Senate, contains the third round of economic-impact payments.
The first round passed last spring provided up to $2,000 per individual, and a second round of payments in December provided up to $600 per individual.
The latest package passed with no votes from Republicans, who objected to the size of the measure and argued it was not necessary given signs that the economy is beginning to recover.
Source: Newmax
