Mr. Biden responded, “I don't understand.''
Shortly afterward, Mr. Heinrich asked Mr. Biden whether he thought the border was secure.
Biden replied, “No, it's not.”
“For the last 10 years, I couldn't believe that,” the president continued. “And I've been saying that for the last 10 years: Give me the money.”
🚨I just talked to POTUS:
HEINRICH: What would you say to Republicans who are trying to impeach Mayorkas?
BIDEN: I don't know.
Heinrich: Do you think that's unconstitutional? (No response)
Heinrich: Do you think the border is safe?
BIDEN: No, it's not.(continued on next tweet)
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) January 19, 2024
The president spoke at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting at the White House on Friday to discuss negotiations with Congress on border initiatives.
“We believe we need significant policy changes at our border, including changes to our asylum system to ensure we have the authority we need to control our borders,” the president said. “I'm ready for action.”
Biden and other White House officials met Wednesday with Congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to try to find a compromise. After the meeting, Johnson suggested he might “decouple” funding for Ukraine from border funding in order to get a spending bill through Congress.
“Well, Ukraine… [the] border [deal]. But from your point of view, they might really be breaking up. Let's see how it develops. Again, the devil is going to be in the details of all these proposals,” Johnson told Fox News' Laura Ingraham.
