McConnell: “Border Czar” Can’t Escape Far-Left Record

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Vice President Kamala Harris' record:

"I spoke yesterday about how working Americans are having a tough time figuring out where Vice President Harris stands on left-wing climate policy. She's played both sides of issues that carry real consequences for their livelihoods and family budgets.

"And unfortunately, it doesn't stop at the Green New Deal. Voters consistently report that border security is among their top concerns. And with good reason.

"In the last four years, humanitarian chaos and a security crisis at the southern border has set all the wrong records. Since the Biden-Harris Administration took office, CBP has recorded more than 9.9 million encounters with illegal aliens. And this doesn't include the nearly 2 million known gotaways.

"In the past fiscal year alone, CBP have encountered 2.3 million people attempting to illegally enter the country. And the Democratic nominee for President also happens to be the current administration's point person responsible for this exact issue.

"You might expect the border czar to have taken command and left a clear idea of where she stands on the issue. Think again.

"Back in 2020, she described President Trump's border wall as 'a complete waste of taxpayer money' that, 'won't make us any safer.'

"But recently, she said that she would sign Senator Lankford's border bill into law if it landed on her desk. Remember, this is the bill that would've unlocked hundreds of millions of dollars to fund construction of the wall.

"In 2019, when she first ran for President, our former colleague expressed support for decriminalizing illegal border crossing. Apparently this was a longstanding view - in her maiden speech in the Senate she proclaimed, 'I know what a crime looks like, and I will tell you: an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal.'

"But according to her campaign, she no longer believes this.

"On other aspects of border policy, her campaign has declined to say whether her earlier commitments still hold true.

"Vice President Harris has bragged that she was 'one of the first Senators after President Trump was elected to advocate for a decrease in funding to ICE.' Is she still proud of that stand? The Harris campaign won't say.

"This is especially puzzling given her stated support for the Lankford border bill which increased funding for ICE. Does she not know what's in the legislation she says she now endorses?

"In this body, she introduced legislation to decrease detention by at least 50% and end funding for new detention facilities. Would she sign a bill like that today? Her campaign is mum on the issue.

"And they're similarly tight-lipped on the Vice President's 2019 statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender transition treatment for persons in immigration detention facilities.

"This isn't to say that the American people are at a total loss for clues on where Vice President Harris stands. She's repeated often on the campaign trail that, 'My values have not changed.'

"And it's useful to note who's taken her word for it. The executive director of a progressive immigration group recently put it this way, 'We all know and trust Harris to make the right decisions when she's in office.'

"When it comes to campaign strategy, some of our Democratic colleagues are even saying the quiet part out loud. The senior Senator for Vermont, a self-described democratic socialist, said 'I don't think she's abandoning her ideals. I think she's tried to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election.'

"The senior Senator for Hawaii reiterated this point. He's said, 'I certainly don't think we should be demanding that she take unpopular positions in key states.'

"Sitting Democratic Senators are calling it like it is: Our former colleague is saying what needs to be said to appeal to independent voters. But when it comes to her progressive agenda, she's dyed in the wool. She just needs to wait until the election to let the mask come off.

"So for voters trying to make sense of where the Vice President stands, it comes down to this:

"If Washington Democrats' left-wing base isn't afraid of her flip-flops…

"…then it's safe to say that working Americans probably should be."

Permalink: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2024/9/mcconnell-border-czar-can-t-escape-far-left-record