Cornyn to Obama: 'Dallas is Not on the Border, Mr. President'

HOUSTON, Texas–U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) attacked President Obama from the floor of the Senate over his failure to visit the humanitarian crisis on the border between Texas and Mexico. President Obama plans to visit Dallas today for a fund raising event. Sen. Cornyn reminded the President that Dallas is not a border city.

“Given the White House’s recent announcement that the President refuses to visit the Rio Grande Valley this week,” Cornyn said from the Senate floor, “it unfortunately appears that my request here again today will fall on deaf ears and therefore suggests to the American people that either the President doesn’t really understand this border crisis or he simply doesn’t care.”

“I’ve been with the President after the tragic shootings at Fort Hood in 2009 and in this last year,” the Texas senior Senator continued. “I have been with the President at the memorial service in West, where first responders were tragically killed as a result of an explosion.”

Following is the video of Senator Cornyn’s remarks on the Senate floor:

The trip to Texas, which is at the center of the immigration surge of women and children from Central American countries entering the United States by the thousands, includes a Democrat Party fund raiser according to a report by CNN.

The Obama Administration continues to blame the influx of illegal immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador on the dire conditions in the country. However, a Department of Homeland Security report obtained by Breitbart Texas managing director, Brandon Darby, contradicts the President directly and places more of the blame on family reunification and a belief by the immigrants that they will be allowed to remain if they make it into the United States.

Breitbart Texas has witnessed immigrants surrendering themselves to Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in the Rio Grande Sector. In most of those anecdotal cases, the immigrants have indicated they are seeking to join other family members who are residing here or they have been told they would be allowed to stay. It is clear when you go to the border, these immigrants are not trying to avoid capture. They are actually seeking out border patrol agents to surrender to.

In a press release obtained by Breitbart Texas, Sen. Corny expressed dismay at the President’s refusal to visit the border region of Texas. “Why he is so stubborn and hardheaded that he refuses to visit the Rio Grande Valley and witness this ongoing humanitarian crisis with his own eyes really is mystifying,” Cornyn asked. 

“I hope the President will reconsider his decision. Since he’s going to be in Texas anyway for Wednesday and Thursday, go to the border, 500 miles away, Air Force One, easy to get there, won’t take much time, spend an hour on the ground and then I think he will come away glad that he has taken advantage and accepted this invitation by Governor Perry and me and other Texans to come see the problem for himself,” the Senator concluded.

Bob Price is a staff writer and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.