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President Joe Biden has vowed to shut down the border if given the authority by Congress
One Democratic strategist said, “Democrats have an opportunity to go on the offensive here.”
Republicans argue that Democrats don’t have credibility on the issue with the electorate
Biden’s remarks from over the weekend didn’t sit well with everyone in his own party.
Democrats are doing what three months ago might have seemed unthinkable for the party in an election year: preparing to go on offense on border security.
After months of migrant surges at the US southern border and a barrage of GOP attacks against the president and his administration for the handling of the crisis, Democrats see a window of opportunity to seize on House Republicans’ threats to tank a border compromise at the behest of former President Donald Trump who wants to campaign on the issue.
And they say they aren’t going to waste it.
“It’s the closest we’ve come in decades and they’re rejecting it so they can’t blame us,” Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat said.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday also lay the blame squarely on Republicans, after embracing a tougher posture on border security over the weekend: “Give me the power, I asked them the very day I got into office. Give me the Border Patrol, give me the people, give me the judges, give me the people who can stop this and make it work.”
The strategy is already playing out on the campaign trail.
Last week, Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi, who is running in a special election to replace former Rep. George Santos of New York, essentially crashed a news conference his opponent held on immigration. When they were done, Suozzi held his own gaggle with reporters and offered a rebuttal and an outline…
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