Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with eleven Republican colleagues, have called on President Joe Biden to resume and expand construction of the border wall, as reported on October 19, 2023. The senators have also requested that the administration resubmit its supplemental funding request to include specific resources for border construction.

The Biden Administration has recently indicated that it will proceed with the construction of approximately 20 miles of the border wall, after years of inaction and in the midst of a crisis at the southern border.

In a letter to President Biden, the senators emphasized the need for a more robust response to illegal immigration and stated, "Despite the administration’s messaging on this issue, construction of a border wall is sorely needed as communities and elected officials across the country demand a more robust response to illegal immigration."

The senators further urged the administration to expand border wall construction efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border. They also called for the resubmission of the August 2023 supplemental funding request to Congress, specifically including additional resources for physical border deterrents.

The letter stated, "If the administration wants to actually combat illegal immigration, it must resubmit the August request with a specific request to expand border wall construction."

The senators were joined in their call by U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and John Hoeven (R-ND).

The letter concluded by expressing the senators' hope that this decision by the administration signals the beginning of a bipartisan consensus on the need for more physical deterrents on the southern border.

The full letter can be read on the official Senate website.

This demand by Cassidy, Rubio, and their colleagues comes in response to the Biden Administration's initial decision to proceed with the construction of the border wall, which they view as a step towards combating the high rates of illegal entry. However, they believe that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of American communities and to deter unfettered illegal immigration.

It remains to be seen how President Biden will respond to this request from the Republican senators, but their call for the expansion of border wall construction will undoubtedly add to the ongoing debate over immigration policy in the United States.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-rubio-colleagues-demand-biden-expand-border-wall-construction