President Biden suggested VP Kamala Harris is the most qualified person to handle the influx of migrations as he put her in charge of the situation at the border.
While meeting with Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of Homeland Security and Secretary Xavier Becerra of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, the 46th US President announced Harris would be taking over control of what some refer to as a border crisis.
According to Biden, the vice president is the most qualified to take on the endeavor and communicate with Mexico and other countries affected by a surge of migrations.
While Biden refuses to call the current border situation a crisis, he acknowledged that the border has been facing a “serious spike” in immigration.
“I’ve asked her, the VP, today – because she’s most qualified person to do it – to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border,” the president said.
He added: “So it’s not her full responsibility and job, but she’s leading the effort because I think the best thing to do is to put someone who, when he or she speaks, they don’t have to wonder about is that where the President is.
“When she speaks, she speaks for me. Doesn’t have to check with me. She knows what she’s doing, and I hope we can move this along.
“But — so, Madam Vice President, thank you. I gave you a tough job, and you’re smiling, but there’s no one better capable of trying to organize this for us.”
Biden also took the opportunity to slam the previous administration and accuse Trump of cutting off the funding used to tackle migration in origin countries.
“One of the ways we learned is that if you deal with the problems in country, it benefits everyone. It benefits us, it benefits the people, and it grows the economies there,” the president said.
“Unfortunately, the last administration eliminated that funding — did not engage in it, did not use it — even though there was over $700 million to help get this done. We’re reinstituting that program. And there are — as I said, there are many factors as to why people leave in the first place.”
Biden concluded: “So this new surge we’re dealing with now started with the last administration, but it’s our responsibility to deal with it humanely and to — and to stop what’s happening.”
Replaced!