Rebutting Border Attacks on VP Harris

Republicans are throwing around baseless accusations at VP Harris about our southern border. While it is true voters favor Trump and Republicans when it comes to the border, it is also true the Biden-Harris Administration has a strong border record to run on if we talk about it.

The fact is there is far more order at the border today than the pre-pandemic Trump years. The fact is there is only one person and one party that killed the toughest bipartisan border security bill in decades and it’s Trump and the House GOP. But it is also true that Democrats avoid talking about the border and are reactive instead of pro-active.

The following talking points are meant to neutralize and play offense on the border, defend Democrats and Harris, and tout our many border accomplishments that are unknown to the American public.

Border Talking Points: Illegal Border Crossings Down; Fentanyl Confiscation Up—all over GOP opposition

• Harris is not the “border czar”—a complete GOP fabrication to play politics at the border, instead of solving it—but if she were she would have a good story to tell.
• Illegal border crossings are way down, fentanyl detection and disruption is way up, and there are more border agents and security technology protecting the border today than at any time during the Trump Administration—all over Trump and House GOP opposition.
• Biden-Harris executive actions have restored order at the border. Attempted illegal border crossings this summer have plummeted and are on pace to be below Trump’s final pre-pandemic summer of 2019.
• Biden-Harris executive actions happened because Trump and House Republicans killed the toughest border legislation in generations for pure political gain. Trump and House Republicans said “no” to:
  • $20 billion in new security and personnel at the border.
  • Asylum reform so cases are heard in a matter of months rather than years.
  • New powers and technology to detect and disrupt fentanyl trafficking.
• Over Republican opposition, the Biden-Harris Administration still made historic investments in border security.
  • They’ve increased funding for Customs and Border Protection by more than $11 billion so we can hire more border agents and install better technology.
  • They’ve installed scanning technology at ports of entry, allowing border agents to scan six times as much cargo as before. That means we’re stopping a lot more fentanyl and illicit drugs from entering the country.

As a result:

• The Biden-Harris Administration has seized nearly six times as much fentanyl a year at the border compared to the Trump Administration.
• Attempted illegal crossings at our Southern border today are near the same level of Trump’s last pre-pandemic year of 2019 thanks in part to the Biden-Harris executive order and the Administration’s collaboration with the Mexican government.
• They’ve set up regional processing centers throughout Latin America so that fewer asylum seekers have to make the dangerous trip to the southern border.
• All while expanding legal pathways into the United States, like Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole. And soon, undocumented spouses of American citizens will be able to apply for legal status.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s record on the border is much stronger than Republicans’ record. This Congress, they’ve managed to kill the strongest bipartisan border bill in our history. They’ve instead spent their time passing stunt bills that don’t make any actual change or progress. Democrats are the party restoring order at the border.