The Biden White House is working hard to press House Republicans to pass the border legislation they once demanded, but Speaker Mike Johnson has now rejected it as "dead on arrival" — and they're taking a variety of different steps to pound their points home.
Republicans downplayed President Barack Obama in the final years of his tenure by blasting his "I've got a pen, and I've got a phone," remarks he used to threaten executive orders if Congress did not give him what he needed.
But now, Republican lawmakers are literally demanding President Joe Biden issue executive orders so they don't have to pass border legislation that Donald Trump opposes.
Johnson once again did just that just an hour ago.
“The President can take executive authority immediately and he's pretending as though he does not know that. It's outrageous. The American people are demanding action, we're going to deliver it in every way we possibly can,” Johnson told reporters.
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But Biden said he needs funding and congressional authority to take additional action, which he has been urgently asking for since at least October.
In remarks to reporters, Biden demanded Congress give him the tools to deal with the border. Video of his comments spread through right-wing social media like wildfire Tuesday morning. It was posted by a Republican National Committee social media account, a Trump campaign account, and numerous right-wing media outlets, apparently in an attempt to attack Biden.
But the Biden White House also posted it, making clear Biden needs legislation.
White House Deputy Press Secretary and Senior Communications Adviser Andrew Bates, who posted the video, also took a more humorous approach Tuesday which ended with him mocking one of Donald Trump's strongest anti-immigrant allies, Stephen Miller.
Miller was the architect of Trump's child and family separation policy, which put thousands of migrant kids in cages.
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Bates first posted a whimsical "tweet" on X, writing that Johnson's "objections to the bipartisan border security deal are, at once: 1, new legislation to secure the border is unnecessary (despite 6+ years of statements to the contrary) But also... 2, in order to secure the border, we need new legislation that goes further???"
He added a humorous photo of a dog looking "confused" to make his point — and some "receipts."
Although Miller was not tagged on the post, the former Trump aide quickly shot back, attacking Bates. "Andrew continues to boldly advertise the impressive depths of his ignorance," he wrote. "Let me try this for you again, Andrew, only slower: 1. Biden ordered the border open 2. Biden could rescind those orders at any time 3. Or Congress could pass a law forcing Biden to rescind his orders."
Biden did not order the border open.
Even the right-wing think tank, the Cato Institute, says claims Biden has an "open borders" policy are "unhinged from reality."
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Bates responded to Miller, sarcastically writing: "Everyone's thinking, "Andrew, when you tweet about House Republicans delaying border security, Steven gets triggered & we have to hear nails on a chalkboard again.' But hear me out: every time Steven stops what he's doing to tweet at me, he puts down the puppy he's about to eat."
See the social media posts above or at this link.
