President Joe Biden called on House Republicans to take up the bipartisan border deal, calling it the “strongest border deal the country has ever seen,” and urged governors to push Congress to move the bill.
Speaking to a gathering of governors at the White House on Friday, Biden underscored bipartisan efforts to reform the immigration system, including the most recent round with Senate negotiators and administration officials that culminated in some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory.
“Over time, our laws and our resources haven’t kept up with our system and it’s broken. And our politics has failed to fix it,” Biden said. “The bipartisan agreement represents the most fair and humane reforms in a long time. I didn’t get everything I wanted. It also includes the toughest set of reforms to secure the border ever in history.”
Each of the tables where governors are seated have a fact sheet with details of the border deal, Biden said.
Governors nationwide have had to contend with the record level of migrants at the US-Mexico border, in part as a result of GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott busing migrants to Democratic-led cities unannounced. The White House has faced fierce criticism from states as they seek additional resources and policy changes.
“It’s a positive step, a significant step. You know that. You deal with this every day, some of you deal with it every single day. You have real skin in the game,” Biden said. “Tell your members of Congress who are standing in the way, show a little spine.”
Biden put the blame on Republicans for coming in the way of funding for governors whose states are receiving migrants.
The Shelter and Services Program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security, has not been able to provide additional financial support since late 2023. The funds in fiscal year 2023 were already allocated—meaning that any cities looking for new funds and reimbursements in fiscal year 2024 will not receive them at this point.
