On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) said that “Democrats are afraid to talk about border security, and Republicans are afraid to talk about establishing a path to legal status for the folks who are here and otherwise follow the law who are part of our society.” And that there is a “systemic” “serious deficiency” on border security where we don’t have the ability “to know and control who enters and exits our territory.”
Ossoff stated, “I expect we’re going to vote on Title 42 this week. I’m doing my due diligence, reviewing the ruling from the Louisiana district judge. I was briefed earlier today by Secretary Mayorkas. I’ll make a well-informed decision when that vote is on the floor. And I think that it’s important for us to acknowledge in Congress the following: That this is deeper than Title 42. And here’s what a lot of folks in Congress, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, refuse to acknowledge: Democrats are afraid to talk about border security, and Republicans are afraid to talk about establishing a path to legal status for the folks who are here and otherwise follow the law who are part of our society. And until we’re willing to acknowledge that, and until we’re willing, on that basis, to pass legislation that secures the border and that addresses the undocumented persons who otherwise follow the law in this country at a time when we have severe workforce shortages, we’re going to be re-litigating these same issues year after year after year, whether it’s Title 42 or Remain in Mexico. Because the crisis at the border will not be addressed. It’s up to us in Congress to get it done, and we have to be honest with ourselves and willing to have an open conversation in order to do so.”
He added, “I think it starts with being honest. Being honest means acknowledging that we have a serious deficiency when it comes to border security. It’s systemic. It predates this administration or this Congress. The United States must be able to know and control who enters and exits our territory. That’s what makes us a country. We currently lack that capability. And, in some places, that may mean building physical infrastructure. In other places, it means improving our ability to surveil the border and to conduct enforcement operations. It also means ensuring that we have the infrastructure on our side of the border to adjudicate asylum cases so that we don’t have backlogs that last months and years.”
Ossoff continued, “It also means that we need to have an honest conversation about the folks who are here without proper documentation and otherwise follow the law at a time when businesses are short of workers, rather than them remaining in the informal economy and in the shadows, establishing a path to legal status. Americans overwhelmingly support both of these policies, border security — real, effective border security and a pathway for those who are here without documentation [and] otherwise follow the law. But what you hear in Congress is partisan rhetoric, neither side willing to acknowledge the reasonable points that the other side makes. I’m willing to make those acknowledgments, have that conversation, support both border security and that pathway for those who are already here.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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