Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the ranking member on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said in an interview with Townhall that it is important to keep an eye on the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border with other issues in the country, such as riots, now taking up the front row seat.
Comer recently returned from leading a congressional delegation to the southern border in El Paso, Texas, where he toured gaps in the wall and spoke with Border Patrol agents, local law enforcement, and residents who live right on the border.
Leading an outstanding @GOPoversight delegation to our southern border in El Paso, TX.
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) April 12, 2021
Our first stop: a border holding facility to meet with local law enforcement and talk solutions to the border crisis. pic.twitter.com/Z4M9xpmZ9P
"That would be a concern, that people lose focus of the crisis at the border. But I can assure you the Republicans in Congress are not gonna let the American people forget about it. We're gonna continue to message, we're gonna continue to go down there until Joe Biden and Kamala Harris show up for work and come up with a plan," Comer said.
Comer said he's not surprised Vice President Harris is not really in charge of the administration's response to the massive influx of illegal foot traffic. Harris said she is only in charge of trying to address the "root" causes of immigration from the Northern Triangle countries and, therefore, she does not need to visit the southern border.
"They don't know what to do and no one's going to take responsibility for the crisis at the border and all they're going to do is to continue to hope that the media and the American public focus on something else."
Comer said outside of GOP members taking trips down to the border, Republicans in the House are going to challenge the legality of Biden's executive order to halt border wall construction since the contracts have already been awarded.
"Every Border Patrol agent we talked to, every landowner we talked to in New Mexico said they want the wall and they're very upset that Biden halted the construction of the wall."
??El Paso, Texas
— Congressman Fred Keller (@RepFredKeller) April 14, 2021
“How’s morale?”
Border Patrol agent: “It’s bad right now...it’s even harder when this current administration is making you out to be the bad guy.” pic.twitter.com/yX2JRsmPkZ
I’m in El Paso, TX at a U.S. Border Control facility witnessing the crisis occurring on our southern border. Thank you to @CBP agents, who are overwhelmed & over-run trying to keep Americans safe. @POTUS is denying the magnitude of this crisis. This carelessness must stop now. pic.twitter.com/nBROBjJDKP
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) April 12, 2021
When it came to reports the Biden administration has considered sending cash payments to people in the Northern Triangle countries to discourage migration, Comer said it is yet another example of Biden putting "illegal aliens' rights ahead of American citizens' rights and all that's going to do is encourage more caravans and more unaccompanied minors" to come to the United States.