Taylor Haulsee, a spokesperson for Speaker Johnson, contradicted statements on border made by President Biden earlier today, asserting that he “has executive authority” but is “refusing” to use it during negotiations” on the Mexico-US border.
“The White House just said the quiet part out loud. The President obviously has executive authority, and he is refusing to use it during negotiations that have lasted for months as the situation at the border grows more dire, ” said Taylor Haulsee, spokesman for Speaker Johnson.
“He has been either lying to the American people or simply doesn’t know what his authorities are. Either is completely unacceptable. The President can begin to end the catastrophe today with the stroke of a pen, and he must begin immediately,” she added.
President Biden told reporters on Tuesday morning, “I’ve done all I can do. Just give me the power. I’ve asked from the very day I got into office. Give me the BorderPatrol. Give me the people — give me the people, the judges. Give me the people who can stop this and make it work right.”
White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton later contradicted President Biden during AF1 gaggle, saying, “certainly he feels that there are things that are within his power, but there are also things that are not within his power that he is looking for a congressional authority to do in order to step up border security.”
President Biden vowed on Friday to halt border crossings when it’s “overwhelmed” if Congress passes bipartisan immigration legislation granting him that authority. He stated, “What’s been negotiated would — if passed into law — be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country.”
Dalton stated that the administration is engaged in good-faith negotiations across the aisle to try and get “this proposal done.”
