Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) insists Democrats have made addressing the U.S.-Mexico border as a “strong priority.”
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” Thursday, conservative co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin noted there were more than 2.76 million migrants crossings at the border in the last year.
“Do you think this should have been more of a priority for the Democrats?” she asked.
Schiff responded, “I think it has been a very strong priority, and what we really need is a comprehensive approach to the border that is fair and humane and enforceable, and it’s very hard to do that on a single-party basis.”
“We really need to work together on this. We have come close at times, but at the moment it seems to be again the third rail of American politics,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Amid the worst southern border crisis on record, Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff insists the border "has been a very strong priority" for Democrats and praises Biden for "working in good faith." pic.twitter.com/8cFBygn7p9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 5, 2023
His comment comes after President Joe Biden unveiled plans to travel to the southern border.
Since taking office, Biden has declined to travel to the border as crossings surged.
During a December trip to Arizona, the president did not visit the border.
“Because there are more important things going on,” he told reporters about the decision.
In case you missed it:
DOOCY TIME: Why "not visit the border" while in Arizona today?
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 6, 2022
Biden: "Because there are more important things going on. They’re going to invest billions of dollars in a new enterprise." pic.twitter.com/Srp7dILEx0
But on Thursday, Biden explained he is traveling to the border to “meet with the local officials and community leaders and the folks at the border sending me what they need that they don’t have, and make it public what they conclude they need they don’t have to try to convince my Republican colleagues they should do something.”
He also announced the U.S. will start immediately turning away migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua who cross the border illegally.
The Associated Press noted, “Homeland Security officials said they would begin denying asylum to those who circumvent legal pathways and do not first ask for asylum in the country they traveled through en route to the U.S.”
Biden told potential migrants, “Do not, do not just show up at the border.”
He added, “Stay where you are and apply legally from there.”