WH on Biden Going to the Border: ‘The President’s Focus Right Now Is to Come Up with Solutions’
(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) on Sunday joined the growing chorus of people calling for President Biden to visit the southern border to see the border crisis firsthand, but the White House on Monday said that instead the president is focused on “solutions.”
“I know you’ve been asked about this before, but just yesterday, Representative Cuellar told “Face the Nation” that he wants to see President Biden go to the border. He said it doesn’t have to be for a photo op, but a leader has to show images of being up there in front. So does the President have any plans to go to the border? Is now a good time to go?” CBS White House Correspondent Ed O’Keefe asked.
“Like you said, I’ve addressed this before. Look, the president’s focus right now is to come up with solutions, is focused on making sure that we have the resources to manage what — the challenges that we’re seeing at the border, and right now, we — as you know, we have a budget request in front of Congress, and, again, if congressional Republicans are serious about dealing with the challenges that we’re seeing at the border, they will assist,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
O’KEEFE: But given what we’re seeing at the border —
JEAN-PIERRE: I — I just answered the question. I just said we’ve — we’ve litigated that back and forth here for the past two weeks or so. The president’s focus right now is to make sure that we have the resources to manage what’s happening right now.
As CNSNews.com previously reported, Cuellar was asked what Biden going to the border would achieve.
BRENNAN: I’m sure the White House would say it’s a hemispheric surge. It’s worse than it’s ever been. I want to get to something you’ve been raising consistently as you’ve been faulting President Biden for failing to visit the border. Policy experts would say, you know, a photo op doesn’t do much.
To you, what does going to the border actually achieve? And do you think it’s — the reason he hasn’t gone is because the White House is afraid it’s going to backfire, that the border agents you’re talking about will be disrespectful to him?
CUELLAR: Well, look, there’s different ways of visiting the border. He doesn’t have to go there for just a photo op, but, you know, a leader has to show images of – of being up there in the front. He – he can do that.
He can do it in so many ways, and I’m not asking for a photo op, but I think the message that will go to not only the men and women in green and blue but to the border communities. I’m more interested in the border communities who will say, hey, look, I’m the president of the United States. I’m here at the border. Border communities, I feel your pain.
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