Renee Parsons
For the last umpteenth weeks, House Republicans have been insistent about the need to address the crisis of 4-5000 illegals a day at the border prior to any budgetary commitments. The Uniparty wing however continues to resist unless more billions of dollars would be designated for the war in Ukraine and Israel and Taiwan. The hierarchy missed the memo that the Ukraine war has been kaput for several months with the Zelensky government in the final throes of a pitiful defeat – but that has not stopped the Forever War lovers.
Led by State Department Nuland neocon club who refuse to accept that war with Russia as a long sought hallucination is never going to occur – still the warmongers will not budge. With Senate leadership locked in a wrestling match to create a bipartisan border “compromise” that includes a $110 billion fund including $14 billion for border security, there is no draft for Senators to review, hence no possible approval.
Biden claims the new bipartisan deal would provide new ‘presidential authority’ and enable him to ‘shut down the border’ when it is “overwhelmed” which begs the question: when do Democrats believe the border is ever overwhelmed?
The Republican dilemma is the same as it has been for the last decade with a lack of true leadership rather than old fossils who remain wedded to outdated solutions in control of the agenda– like more war to stimulate the economy. Just as the State of Texas Republicans have a history of acquiescing to the more dominant Democrats who have usurped control the state legislature.
Yet of the utmost urgency, a list of bipartisan Congressional leaders were in receipt of an alarming letter on January 17th signed by ten retired FBI Intel and Criminal Administrators. The subject of the letter predicted the US was “facing a new and imminent danger’ identified as one of the “most pernicious ever to menace the US. Each signatoree identified themselves with “deep experience combatting dangers to the nation” therefore negating any dismissal as being conspiracy hacks. The frightening letter went on to spell out their imminent concerns regarding the number of military aged men from hostile nations crossing the border illegally as ‘difficult to overstate the danger’ of ‘who could begin attacking gatherings of unarmed citizens must be considered a distinct possibility.’
The letter was addressed to Speaker Johnson, Senate Majority leader Schumer, Senate Minority Leader McConnell as well as Chairs of the House/Senate Intel and Homeland Security Committees leaving open whether any of those recipients responded in any way. Even Gov. Abbott, who has been less of an immigration hawk, has now recognized the inherent undeniable threat of thousands of draft aged young men streaming across the board…for what obscure purpose?
Presumably contents of the letter was distributed to Members of Congress, many of whom would have found the warnings extremely worrisome, if not in downright panic mode…The question is how did the message of that letter affect the on going border-budget negotiations with regard to a crisis decision and implementing those discussions front and center for immediate action. Why wouldn’t contents in the letter increase agitation to immediately identify and implement a border strategy?
To date, it appears the letter has been deep-sixed and not yet aroused enough urgent concern among the recipients to pursue an adequate response to the warning – instead the recipients have preferred to squabble about the next round of budget CRs while debating the quid pro quo of more money to Ukraine as their top priority.
At the same time as negotiations were being grappled with, it appears that nothing significantly changed when a group of Senators excluded from the meetings held a press conference to alert the public that as the border numbers continued to dramatically increase, agreement on the unseen draft document appeared stalled.
Republican Senators Scott (Fl.), Lee (Utah), Cruz, (Tex.), Marshall (Kansas), Braun (Ind.), Johnson (Wisc) and Schmitt(Mo.) added voices of reality that any proposal remains inchoate and that the Biden administration needed no new legislation to take control of the border. Those not included in the intimate leadership negotiations are a fussy bunch; they need to see the numbers before they commit.
Sen. Schumer, who has led the country into more military catastrophes in the decades since 2011, stated that the argument was “one of the hardest things the Senate has undertaken” which is factually incorrect given the current Constitutional crisis with Texas is in the nature of uncharted waters asserting its state’s right to stop illegal immigration through its borders. The choice, therefore, would seem a natural for those who understand Rule of Law priorities.
Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) suggested there was “no need for a new border bill but to mimic Trump policies would be sufficient.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited Eagle Pass for an ‘unfiltered view,’ supporting a Trump-style wall and citing that the immigration numbers were of “such magnitude leading to a collapse of social services.”
***
On January 22nd, the Supreme Court responded to a brief filed by State of Texas with a cease and desist order to Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Court ordered Texas to stop blocking federal agents from access to the 47 acre Shelby Park at Eagle Pass. The 5 – 4 decision, with no written writ by the Justices, allowed Federal agents to remove the razor wire fencing installed by the State to prohibit illegal immigrant access.
Gov. Abbott’s response “this is not over” when he proceeded to issue a formidable Texas’ Constitutional Right to Self Defense statement citing Articles I and IV, both of which reserve the state’s right to ‘self defense.’ Twenty five State Governors endorsed the State of Texas in its border control conflict with the Federal government with some providing their own National Guard/law enforcement support.
With the entire country now in commotion as Texas awaits the government’s next move and refuses to accede to the Federal government, a national convoy of truckers are headed for the Texas border and militia movement members are planning to participate, the Democrats are urging Biden to establish ‘sole Federal control’ over the Texas National Guard which may bring the crisis to a point of no return as Abbott continues to pledge he is “prepared for conflict” with the Federal government.
On January 26th, pretend President Joe Biden responded with a vague statement that offered no real understanding of the dramatic potential consequences of a Constitutional confrontation with Texas as much of the country holds its breathe.
House Judiciary hearing Tuesday, January 30th “The Southern Border Crisis: the Constitution and the States”
Renee Parsons served on the ACLU’s Florida State Board of Directors and as president of the ACLU Treasure Coast Chapter. She has been an elected public official in Colorado, staff in the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, an environmental lobbyist for Friends of the Earth and a staff member of the US House of Representatives in Washington DC.