Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat representing Arizona, criticized Republicans and former President Donald Trump for the lack of progress in passing border reform legislation. He commended President Joe Biden's forthcoming executive actions aimed at addressing border security concerns. Kelly expressed disappointment in his Republican colleagues for their reluctance to address the issue.
Kelly highlighted the efforts made over the past three years to develop bipartisan legislation that included provisions for increased Border Patrol agents, enhanced fentanyl detection capabilities at ports of entry, changes to asylum policies, construction of facilities for migrant housing during asylum processing, and the appointment of judges and officials to handle asylum claims.
Despite extensive negotiations and the inclusion of various measures to strengthen border security, Kelly lamented that the Republican lawmakers chose not to support the proposed legislation. He emphasized the importance of taking concrete steps to address the challenges at the border and expressed confidence in the effectiveness of the actions being taken by the White House.
