House Condemns Harris' Border Policies, Six Democrats Join GOP

Llewellyn Douglas
July 28, 2024 04:03am
184

The House of Representatives has voted along bipartisan lines to condemn Vice President Kamala Harris' handling of the U.S.' southern border, the first piece of legislation targeting Harris since she became the Democrats' presumptive 2024 nominee.

Washington, DC - The House of Representatives has passed a resolution condemning Vice President Kamala Harris' handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, becoming the first piece of legislation to target Harris since she became the presumptive 2024 presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.

The vote, which passed 220-196, was supported by all Republicans and six Democrats: Jared Golden (D-Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Don Davis (D-N.C.), and Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.).

House Condemns Harris' Border Policies, Six Democrats Join GOP

Republicans have long accused Harris of failing in her role as "border czar," a position President Biden appointed her to in 2021 to address the "root causes" of illegal immigration. As Harris prepares for a potential head-to-head race with former President Donald Trump, the issue has become a cornerstone of GOP attacks against her.

During the debate on the resolution, House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) accused Harris of overseeing "failed and dangerous policies as Joe Biden's border czar that caused the most catastrophic border crisis in this nation's history." House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) similarly asserted that Harris could have "just looked in the mirror" to find the root causes of the crisis.

House Condemns Harris' Border Policies, Six Democrats Join GOP

Democrats, however, defended Harris, accusing Republicans of being politically motivated. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) called the resolution a "second-rate attempt at election interference" and an "ethics violation" for using House resources for campaign purposes.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) countered by stating that the American people "know the truth" and that Harris "is Biden's border czar, and the unprecedented invasion at our borders is hers to own."

House Condemns Harris' Border Policies, Six Democrats Join GOP

Left-wing Democrats also opposed the resolution, arguing that Harris' mission was not to oversee border security. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) accused Republicans of "making up" the border czar title.

The resolution is the House's last vote before Congress recesses for the month of August and will return after Labor Day.