House Speaker McCarthy Leads GOP Delegation to U.S.-Mexico Border, White House Responds
Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., House Speaker[0], will lead a congressional delegation to the U.S.-Mexico border this week.[1] McCarthy will be accompanied by freshman Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, Jen Kiggans of Virginia and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.[2] The group visited the Tucson sector for a briefing and aerial tour from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and held a press conference at a ranch in Arizona's Cochise County.[3]
At the press conference, McCarthy said that the Republican-led House would tackle improvements to border security.[4] He later reiterated that he will not use impeachment for political reasons. The White House responded by saying that unauthorized border crossings “are down to their lowest levels in years.”[5]
On Friday, Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the Minority Leader, will be touring border facilities in Laredo, Texas, alongside Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).[6] As of now, several House committees, under the leadership of Republicans, have commenced congressional hearings concerning the predicament at the U.S.-Mexico border.[2] On Wednesday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce conducted a field hearing in Texas to examine the public health ramifications of the events occurring at the border.[7] On Thursday of next week, the House Judiciary Committee will convene in Yuma for a field hearing to discuss matters of border security.[2]
The White House has argued it is on Congress to pass meaningful immigration reform, which Biden proposed on his first day in office two years ago.[5] While Republicans have repeatedly hammered the Biden administration for the influx of migrants at the southern border, including record-setting numbers of arrests last year, Democrats have called the GOP's efforts “a brazen act of political grandstanding.” They have promised to conduct their own trip to the border next month, where they will hear from the community and government officials on the ground.[8]
0. “AZ Rep. Ciscomani and Speaker Kevin McCarthy address border crisis” KVOA Tucson News, 17 Feb. 2023, https://www.kvoa.com/news/local/az-rep-ciscomani-and-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-address-border-crisis/article_2723f42e-ae6d-11ed-8385-abd17cff6adf.html
1. “McCarthy, GOP House Members to Visit Southern Border” Newsmax, 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/house-speaker-mccarthy/2023/02/13/id/1108464
2. “U.S. House speaker visit to Arizona border labeled publicity stunt by White House” Idaho Capital Sun, 17 Feb. 2023, https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/02/16/u-s-house-speaker-visit-to-arizona-border-labeled-publicity-stunt-by-white-house/
3. “White House: GOP Border Visit ‘Partisan Publicity Stunt'” National Review, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.nationalreview.com/news/gop-border-visit-a-partisan-publicity-stunt-white-house-says
4. “Speaker McCarthy leads first border trip in his new role. Critics call it a photo op” WEMU, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.wemu.org/npr-national-news/2023-02-16/speaker-mccarthy-leads-first-border-trip-in-his-new-role-critics-call-it-a-photo-op
5. “White House hits GOP for ‘partisan publicity stunts’ ahead of McCarthy-led border trip” AOL, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.aol.com/white-house-hits-gop-partisan-001553841.html
6. “House minority leader to visit South Texas border” WETM – MyTwinTiers.com, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.mytwintiers.com/border-report-tour/house-minority-leader-to-visit-south-texas-border
7. “Arizona takes center stage in border security fight between Biden, GOP” The Arizona Republic, 17 Feb. 2023, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/border-issues/2023/02/16/border-security-fight-between-biden-gop-mccarthy-ciscomani/69907637007/
8. “House Republicans turn southern border into second campus” WRBL, 17 Feb. 2023, https://www.wrbl.com/hill-politics/house-republicans-turn-southern-border-into-second-campus/
