Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently led a group of GOP lawmakers to Eagle Pass, Texas, to demand border security. The Biden Administration has claimed they require more funds to secure the border, to which Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) viciously replied, "If my eyes had rolled any harder, they would have rolled out of *censored*," calling the White House's counter-demand "total crap" in a recent appearance on Fox Business's Evening Edit.

Rep. Cammack continued to not mince words when she added, "[President Biden] has been given more resources for the border and securing the border than any other time in history. This is absurd. And when he says he wants more money, let us not forget that he said he wants more money to process illegals faster."

As a result, Rep. Cammack stated continuing resolutions (CRs) for the Congressional budget are "no longer an option" as a government shutdown grows closer, saying, "We have to do the appropriations process, single-issue bills and secure the damn border."

Other Florida Republicans have similarly demanded the border crisis be treated as a standalone issue before any other bills would be considered, including Representatives Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Byron Donalds (R-FL), and Cory Mills (R-FL).

Moreover, she predicted the current crisis would drive voters away from Democrats in the 2024 Election, especially as California intends to provide free healthcare to illegal migrants and Howard County, Maryland, will create an extra seat on state school boards only migrants can vote for.

"That kind of nonsense is going to drive people from the middle of the political spectrum to vote for conservatives because they do not like what is happening to their communities. The open border policies of Joe Biden have turned every town in America into a border town," Cammack continued.

California's new law went into effect with the new year starting, which critics have said will only strain the state's Medi-Cal program further, especially as California faces spending deficit problems.

In December, officials in Maryland's Howard County argued a position on the county school board, for which only illegal immigrants could vote, could feasibly exist based on the wording of a current provision in the system, which says a position on the school board is voted upon exclusively by public school students.

The post Cammack Does Not Hold Back: 'Secure the Damn Border' appeared first on The Floridian.

In a new poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University, President Joe Biden is now trailing former President Trump amongst Hispanic and young voters.

According to the poll, Biden’s support amongst Hispanic voters is 34 percent, while Trump is polling at 39 percent. This number is a new low for President Biden who – just four years ago – crushed Trump with the Hispanic vote, winning 65 percent of the group's support.

Hispanic voters aren't the only ones shying away from the current president. Young voters, too, are also separating themselves from the Biden's reelection efforts. While President Biden trounced President Trump with support amongst young voters in the 2020 election, winning over the group by 24 points, the new poll shows that Trump is now in the lead. The poll found that Trump leads Biden among voters under 35 years of age. Trump received 37 percent support, while Biden only received 33 percent.

Biden also saw his lead dwindle when it came to his support amongst black voters. While Biden received 87 percent of the black vote in the 2020 election, according to the poll, he is now sitting at 63 percent.

The good news for President Biden is that many of these voters polled haven’t necessarily switched sides to support Trump. Instead, many of these voters have opted to support third-party candidates. The poll found that one in every five Hispanic and black voters will be supporting a third-party candidate come next November (given it’s a Trump/Biden rematch).

As for the 2024 presidential election, polling still shows a hotly contested race. According to Real Clear Politics, Trump currently has an average lead of 1 percentage point over Biden. With this being said, some polls, such as a recent one conducted by Rasmussen Reports, have Trump up 8 percentage points. On the other hand, a poll recently conducted by Susquehanna, has Biden leading the former president by as much as 7 percentage points.

The post Poll: Trump Leading Biden With Hispanics, Young Voters appeared first on The Floridian.

With the 2024 Iowa Caucuses less than two weeks away, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has kicked his presidential campaign into high gear, traversing the Hawkeye State trying to cram in as many meet and greet events in hopes of upsetting former President Donald Trump, or at the very least, come in a respectable second place. During a town hall interview with Gray TV in Des Moines, Iowa, Gov. DeSantis continued to try to contrast himself with President Trump on issues, particularly with the ongoing illegal immigration crisis along the southern border with Mexico.

As more than 300,000 illegal immigrants came across last month alone, DeSantis reaffirmed his position that he would “declare” the border crisis a “national emergency on day one.”

DeSantis is vowing to deport all those who have crossed over illegally.

I'm going to have the military on the border to stop the invasion cold. But one of the things we have to do is, people come illegally, we've had millions under Biden, I'm going to deport them back to their home country,” said DeSantis.  You have got to do that.”

In contrasting himself to Trump on border security, DeSantis said that under his administration, Mexico would pay for the border security wall by charging Mexican workers employed in the US “fees” on the remittances they send back home.

In addition, DeSantis swiped at Trump for not delivering on his promise to deport more illegal aliens than any of his predecessors.

“Donald Trump promised the largest deportations in history. He deported less, believe it or not, than Barack Obama even did. So I'm going to do that. Number two, we are going to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it. How do you do that? Mexico is not just going to give us money. You charge fees on the remittances that workers send overseas. That'll raise billions. We'll build the wall,” added DeSantis. “But most importantly, we're going to hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable. I'm going to categorize them as foreign terrorist organizations. That's going to give us an ability to use deadly military force against them.”

Trump did deport fewer illegal aliens than Obama, but that was because there were significantly fewer attempts by migrants to cross into the U.S. illegally during his first term as president.

Under Trump, both legal and illegal immigration drastically slowed down.

DeSantis first stated that he would use military force against Mexican drug cartels when The Floridian pressed him on the issue at an official executive office event in Miami prior to his run for president.

The post DeSantis Asserts he is More Hawkish Than Trump on Illegal Immigration appeared first on The Floridian.

House Republicans continue to demand action on the southern border, and the Representatives from Florida count among the most vocal. Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) discussed the border crisis in a recent appearance on Fox Business's Mornings with Maria, saying Democrats have been ignoring the issue "at their own political peril" and Americans will recognize current policies as "not humane."

"[Democrats] ignore it at their own political peril," said Rep. Cammack, "but also at the risk of our own national security." Having visited the border herself several times, she described seeing "little children that are being trafficked. You see women who have been abused. You see grown military-age men with tattoos on their faces claiming asylum. It is clear the entire immigration system is broken."

As such, Rep. Cammack stated, "We need to bifurcate the issue," meaning the border must be secure first and foremost before any other policies are considered, similar to demands by Representatives Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Byron Donalds (R-FL), and Cory Mills (R-FL).

Substitute host Sheryl Casone pointed out that the Biden Administration has authorized the construction of additional border walls despite initial claims they would not "because quietly they know they have got a huge problem on their hands."

Cammack agreed, saying, "We are one terrorist attack away from a major, major loss of life but [also] a breach in our national security," as Rep. Luna, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has previously warned.

Moreover, Cammack highlighted the inability of Health and Human Services (HHS) to keep track of over 85,000 migrant children, for which Secretary Xavier Becerra was unable to answer in April.

"There is going to be a bombshell report that Americans are going to look up and say, 'what the heck is the Biden Administration doing? This is not a humane policy, this is not asylum," Cammack continued before speculating the border crisis is intentional, designed to "sway elections, to do things illegally," similar to speculation by Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL).

Nevertheless, she concluded this is precisely why Congress must demand action within the next 17 days before another government shutdown.A

The post Cammack Warns Democrats Ignore Border 'At Their Own Peril' appeared first on The Floridian.

A large caravan of migrants are working their way up to the southern border, suggested to be thousands strong. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) posted a brief video on X (formerly Twitter) pointing out the timing of the caravan in the news cycle, how these events receive organized assistance, and that they are easily avoidable.

In addition, Rep. Luna said, "There needs to be a stand-alone border bill. Don't tie it to anything else."

There needs to be a stand alone border bill. Dont tie it to anything else. Also if you have info on the orgs that are orchestrating these, post them below. pic.twitter.com/3pQ0EBFSTk

— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) December 28, 2023

The Hill described how the caravan began in Mexico, made up of migrants from across Central and South America and heading north from Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala. The Mexican government's slow-walking to process migrants has contributed to the caravan's creation as a means of protection.

Rep. Luna pointed out in her video that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) frequently organize these caravans, as authorities have "literally found documentation literature and for goodness' sakes, sometimes these people have cellphones that they are actually given in order to organize these massive marches to the US-Mexico border."

A follow-up post by Rep. Luna posted information about one such NGO, known as "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" ("People Without Borders"), who organized a previous caravan in 2018.

Oh gee wiz look what we have here. https://t.co/Gjir9AXDfs pic.twitter.com/JOz96EcprR

— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) December 28, 2023

Furthermore, Luna pointed out that migrants have come from all over the world through the border, including a worryingly high number of people on the known terrorist watchlist, something she, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) have warned about before.

Others, Luna continued, have come from China, which Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) said are likely serving as spies for the Chinese Communist Party.

"So to hear that this is somehow a humanitarian thing, and we need to just blanket wave these people in. One, it is stupid, but also it is a political talking point. And let me be clear about something. We absolutely have the ability to stop this, and we should," Luna concluded.

Luna's video came after President Biden sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to Mexico in order to negotiate a solution to the crisis.

Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan derided the meeting as a useless gesture because House Republicans already passed the Secure the Border Act in May and have been demanding the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House pass it without trying to attach funding to Ukraine and other foreign aid.

The post Luna Warns of New Migrant Caravan, Says Stand-Alone Border Bill Needed appeared first on The Floridian.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas recently traveled to Mexico, seeking help in stemming the massive tide of migrants crossing the southern border. In a recent appearance on Fox News's Hannity, Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan did not mince words when they said a plan was already in place: The Secure the Border Act (HR2) bill passed by the House in May, yet the Biden Administration and Senate do not want to pass it unless foreign aid is included.

"You have an administration, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and everybody else, they do not want to do the simple job of securing the border. And so now when you have a massive catastrophe which they created. Now they are going down to Mexico to see what can be done. The answer is simple: to follow the House Republicans' HR2. It is the plan," said Rep. Donalds, adding that any discussion of Ukraine can come later.

Substitute host Kayleigh McEnany pointed out that Senate Democrats seek to tie border security and foreign aid together, asking what House Republicans will accept.

Rep. Donalds answered that nothing short of HR2 as-is would be acceptable, as House Republicans would not "negotiate against ourselves for some ham-handed deal that gets negotiated in the Senate."

Additionally, Donalds scathingly called Senate negotiations "weak sauce not worth the paper that they are printed on" and do not affect any real change.

"HR2 is the starting point. The Senators can negotiate all they want, but nothing is moving through the House without HR2," Donalds concluded.

The Florida Congressman has been a ferocious critic of the Biden Administration's handling of the border crisis, suggesting in November that the Department of Homeland Security should be defunded if it will not secure the border.

More recently, his colleague Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) suggested the allowance of migrants into the country in such massive numbers is intentional, although Rep. Gimenez could not provide an answer as to why.

The post Donalds Warns 'Nothing Moving Through House Without HR2' appeared first on The Floridian.

With thousands of illegal migrants attempting to cross the border regularly, how are they relocated throughout the United States? Delta Airlines has been helping, and Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is seeking answers in a letter to Delta's CEO Ed Bastion on how long they have been doing it.

Delta's involvement became known when conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair recently posted a video claiming detained migrants were put on a plane from Phoenix to New York City. Not only was she on the same flight with them, but further suggested they still had bags from the detention center.

As a result, Rep. Gaetz's letter to Bastion demanded he answer how many migrants Delta has flown across the United States since January 2021 and how the tickets are paid for. Additionally, he asked if Delta has received any sort of government reimbursement for transporting migrants and if the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) has told them what is an acceptable form of ID for migrants to receive tickets.

St. Clair posted Rep. Gaetz's letter on X (formerly Twitter), mocking Delta by saying these questions "should be easy to answer."

BREAKING: Congressman @mattgaetz has called for Delta CEO Ed Bastion to answer to Congress on the transportation of non-resident migrants

He’s calling for Delta to answer a few very simple questions:

•How many non-resident aliens has Delta airlines transported on behalf of… pic.twitter.com/ItYAKSg0ZN

— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) December 22, 2023

Gaetz's letter comes hot on the heels of recent reports that 12,000 migrants crossed the Mexican border in a single day, shattering previous records. This prompted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to demand President Biden take executive action and secure the border as negotiations between the House, Senate, and White House continue to stall.

Additionally, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas are scheduled to visit Mexico and speak with President Andres Obrador on a solution to the migrant crisis.

However, Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) ominously suggested this is pointless in a recent appearance on Fox Business's Mornings with Maria. Not only are Blinken and Mayorkas incompetent, he argued, but Biden is intentionally allowing the border crisis to spiral out of control for some unknown reason.

The post Gaetz to Delta CEO: 'Why are You Flying Migrants from the Border?' appeared first on The Floridian.

The ongoing crisis at the southern border is not resolving itself. Instead, it may very well be escalating. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently demanded President Biden take executive action to curb the flow of illegal migrants, but nothing has occurred yet. Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) spoke about Johnson's demand for action in a recent appearance on Fox Business's Mornings with Maria, where he suggested the Biden Administration is intentionally flooding the country with migrants for unknown reasons.

Host Maria Bartiromo pointed out that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas will be sent to Mexico soon to negotiate a solution to the crisis.

Rep. Gimenez replied such a meeting was unnecessary because "All they need to do is change their policies," as President Biden reversed all of former President Donald Trump's border policies almost immediately after assuming office, leading to the current predicament.

Bartiromo then asked if any substantive change would occur soon.

"What do I expect from Mayorkas and Blinken going down to Mexico?" Rep. Gimenez asked rhetorically, "Nothing because they have proven to be totally incompetent in both of their jobs."

Moreover, he further pointed out that Customs and Border Patrol have already said what needs doing, yet the Biden Administration has "chosen to ignore them."

"And I have said that for a long time: this is on purpose. This is not because they are incompetent. They want this to happen. You cannot be this dumb. We know what we need to do; they just refuse to do it," Gimenez continued, although he could not posit why.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez joins Maria to weigh in on House Speaker Mike Johnson's call on President Biden to suspend immigration to contain the surge of migrants crossing the border pic.twitter.com/FWvgfBgZyh

— Mornings with Maria (@MorningsMaria) December 22, 2023

Furthermore, Gimenez mentioned that Democratic officials such as Senators, Governors, and mayors are privately in agreement that the border must be secured, echoing a sentiment shared by Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) in a recent statement, where he said: "commonsense Democrats know this is a problem that has to be addressed."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) was notably vocal earlier this year as the Big Apple was flooded with illegal migrants, saying that it would "destroy New York City" in September. 

The post Gimenez Accuses Biden: 'Border Crisis is on Purpose' appeared first on The Floridian.

Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) has signed into law a bill allowing his state to arrest illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border. At the same time, President Biden is willing to agree on border security as the crisis reaches new heights. Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) appeared on Fox Business's Big Money Show to discuss Gov. Abbott's decision while blasting the Biden Administration for only coming to the negotiating table when his poll numbers were underwater.

Gov. Abbott's bill comes as House Republicans attempt to get the Biden White House and Democrat-controlled Senate to agree on border security before sending money to Ukraine or Israel. Rep. Waltz described how Republicans have "passed a number of laws that the Biden Administration is literally refusing to abide by the law and enforce the law," such as HR 2, the Secure the Border Act passed in May.

As a result, Rep. Waltz continued, "This is going to continue to spiral out of control both from a legal and constitutional standpoint, from a national security standpoint, and a humanitarian standpoint. And this is all because this administration refuses to do what it takes to secure the border."

Host Jackie DeAngelis cited a recent Fox poll showing voters as increasingly concerned about the border, with the number of respondents calling it "an emergency" rising from 34% to 48%. DeAngelis asked Waltz if such worries by voters are driving the Biden Administration's new willingness to negotiate.

"Yeah, sit the progressives aside because they truly have an open borders agenda," Waltz answered, "But commonsense Democrats know this is a problem that has to be addressed." Moreover, he suggested Senate Democrats from red states "may be saying one thing publicly but privately are also wishing this would be addressed politically, now that the polls are so overwhelmingly against it."

A recent Monmouth University poll showed only 26% of respondents approved of Biden's handling of the border. Thus, Waltz concluded, "That is why I think finally, sadly, for political reasons, not for national security or for others, that the White House has finally come to the table."

In October, the Biden Administration authorized the construction of twenty miles of border wall, which Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) blasted as "a political calculation."

The post Waltz Says Biden Only Negotiating Border Security for 'Political Reasons' appeared first on The Floridian.

The effects of the border crisis are impacting Americans from all walks of life, including our veterans. Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) recently spearheaded a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough demanding answers to allegations the VA was processing medical claims for illegal immigrants, which he called "an absurdity."

Fox News described how migrants in need of medical care at the border are typically treated on-site. However, if more advanced medical aid is needed, the VA's Financial Service Center (FSC), through a long-standing agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will process reimbursements for private healthcare providers. Such an arrangement has been occurring in some shape since 2002, though the VA clarified the FSC does not provide healthcare or pay for it.

Nevertheless, this only adds fuel to the fire of frustrated veterans, who have expressed concerns about the VA's ability to provide for those who served.

As a result, Rep. Steube's letter said "We are disturbed that American veterans may receive diminished services from the VA due to the Biden Administration’s reckless unwillingness to secure the border," referencing the record-breaking numbers of illegal crossings that have occurred since President Biden took office.

Additionally, Rep. Steube blasted the VA as having "fallen short" in fulfilling its purpose, and "for far too long," providing an additional example of backlogs for disability claims, which have tripled since the Trump Administration.

Thus the letter posed four questions for Secretary McDonough: How many claims has the VA-FSC filed on ICE's behalf since January 2021? Are they processed ahead of any others? How many hours do FSC employees spend on these claims? And finally, are there any other services the VA is providing for illegal immigrants?

In his press release, Steube said, "It is our duty to provide veterans with quality care, but the VA has been a total failure for so many of our veterans. Many veterans fight with the VA for years to get help. Some never receive it. That’s why you can imagine how much of an absurdity it is for our veterans to learn that the VA has been involved in processing medical claims for illegal immigrants. The VA should be 100% focused on those who served our country honorably – not illegal immigrants who break our nation’s laws."

The post Steube Demands Answers on Why VA Helped Provide Healthcare to Illegal Immigrants appeared first on The Floridian.

As both borders of the United States continue to deal with an influx of illegal immigration, Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) called the ongoing crisis "absolutely outrageous," questioning why the Department of Homeland Security continues to receive funding as it does nothing in the face of it in a recent appearance on Fox and Friends.

Host Steve Doocy pointed out an opinion piece from the Washington Post that said the Biden Administration was throwing grants of asylum around like confetti and needed to change.

"Shout out to the Washington Post for getting something correct for once," Donalds cracked before reminding viewers that protecting the border and, by extension, the country is precisely what the government is supposed to do in the first place.

"And if the federal government cannot do that because you have radicals in the White House and in the United States Senate, then there is going to be serious consequences from the House of Representatives," Donalds warned. He added that while it is vital to fund the Department of Homeland Security, "why would we give an agency money that does not do its job and secure the southern border?"

More to the point, he demanded the Biden Administration secure the border before it could talk about funding Ukraine or other issues, similar to Representative Cory Mills (R-FL). Other Florida Republicans, including those at the state level, have expressed heavy criticism of the Administration's handling of the border.

Additionally, Doocy cited a recent article by the Daily Caller, which obtained a leaked memo asking Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents from the northern border to help process migrants coming in through the south.

Rep. Donalds called this "absolutely outrageous" and said it demonstrated precisely why House Republicans have sought to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

"But we have a significantly bigger problem. And that problem is Joe Biden. Let us be very clear: Joe Biden, on day one, made border policy the way it is. It is destructive of the country. It is destructive to every city. Whether you are a blue city or a red city, it does not matter. It is indiscriminate," Rep. Donalds blasted.

According to reports by Fox News, the Border Patrol in Texas has arrested 21 sex offenders in less than two months.

The post Donalds Questions Importance of DHS Funding Amidst Border Crisis appeared first on The Floridian.

Although the 2024 Election is still far away and former President Donald Trump is not officially the nominee, the Biden Administration is already attacking him over border policy. Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) not only dismissed the claims made by Biden but also pointed out he is losing ground among Hispanic and Latino voters because "he has been a disaster and continues to be a disaster" in a recent appearance on Fox Business Mornings with Maria.

For Thanksgiving, the Biden Administration released a "handy guide for responding to crazy MAGA nonsense" at the dinner table. The slide regarding border policy claimed that Trump did not, in fact, secure the border. Instead, "all he did was separate families, put children in cages, and leave behind a broken system for Joe Biden to clean up."

More egregiously, they claimed that if Trump wins reelection, he would "round up Latinos into mass detention camps, end birthright citizenship, and shoot people at will."

Rep. Gimenez reminded viewers to "never listen to what President Biden tells you, always watch what he is doing," pointing at the severity of the border crisis as thousands are allowed in, and many got-aways remain unidentified.

"He is putting America at risk, and unfortunately, I believe that we will suffer the consequences of President Biden's inaction and malfeasance at the border not only now and in the near future but for years to come," Rep. Gimenez continued.

From here, the host pointed out that Biden has lost support among Hispanic and Latino voters, an immense drop from 14% last year to just 3% according to a recent Emerson College poll. 

Gimenez said this was proof that President Trump could reach out to this demographic since "We want the same thing: opportunity. We want to live in freedom. We do not want censorship. We hold a lot of the values of the Republican Party, where people have faith; where people have hard work. And President Biden fails on all those points."

Moreover, Americans, as a whole, are turning away from Biden "because, frankly, he has been a disaster, and he continues to be a disaster. And then we know that we never trust what he says. You watch what he does. And what he does is always against American interest, which is our interest. Hispanic interests are also tied to American interests, and this President seems to be hellbent on destroying the America that I grew up in, the America I love so much," Gimenez concluded.

The post Gimenez Points Out 'Disaster' Biden Losing Latino Vote appeared first on The Floridian.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently sat down with The Floridian to discuss the ongoing border crisis, where he firmly laid the blame squarely on the feet of President Joe Biden (D) for encouraging massive numbers of migrants to come by doing the opposite of what former President Donald Trump was doing.

"When Biden won, the numbers spiked because the perception was basically, 'Whatever Trump did on immigration and migrants, I am going to do the opposite,' so you are basically sending out a message, 'I am going to be lenient,' so that spiked almost immediately," said Sen. Rubio.

Despite the Biden Administration's claims of the border being secure, he continued, migrants simply have to "turn [themselves] over, and when you say the magic words asking for asylum, you are going to be released, either immediately or within a couple of days into the United States."

More egregiously, court dates for asylum claims are often up to ten years away from a migrant's arrival, a fact highlighted by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in October, demanding the end of catch and release at the border. And when these migrants are given work permits on top of this, they will tell others to keep coming, knowing it worked for them.

Nevertheless, Sen. Rubio pointed out that the Democratic Party refuses to change course.

"And then Joe Biden is in a spot where the alternative to what he is doing now is the Trump policy. But can you imagine how the left wing of his base would react if we started detaining and holding people, sending people back, and actually enforcing and turning them away? They would go nuts," Rubio added, referencing various protests staged against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and calls for its defunding.

Ultimately Rubio concluded, "You have two options when people come into your country: You can detain and return them, or you can release them. The detain and return policy was the Trump policy, and the left went nuts. And Biden cannot go back to that because they will go nuts on him. So he has to do the other one, which is to release them, which only drags and pulls more people to come."

Ironically, in early October, the Biden Administration partially authorized another Trump policy on immigration highly criticized by the left: building a wall where migrant presence is heaviest.

The post Rubio Blames Biden for Border Crisis, 'Doing Opposite of Trump' appeared first on The Floridian.

Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) met with The Floridian to discuss the threat of terrorist attacks via the southern border from foreign adversaries such as Iran.

Recently, Rep. Gimenez grilled Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray on this very topic.

"There was really no significant change in funding," Rep. Gimenez said to Director Wray. "So this whole narrative that somehow funding is the issue on things is not the issue. The issue is policy.”

He continued, “We haven't the faintest idea who they are, we do not know where they came from, we do not know where they are, and we do not know why they are here. And so again, Director Wray, does that pose a threat to the security of the United States?" Gimenez asked.

The Florida congressman maintained his concerns about the possible terrorist threat from “gotaways” when speaking to The Floridian.

“They could be homegrown … There’s two million people that cross the border that we don’t know who the heck they are. I’d put some money down that at least some of the people [that came] across the border that – we don’t know who they are, the gotaways, etc.”

He would go on to mention that foreign adversaries “have people on their hit list” to attempt assassinations against American officials.

“Iran has people on their hit list, they are paying for assassins to basically assassinate American officials here in the United States,” said Gimenez.

The Florida congressman continued to bash Secretary Mayorkas and President Joe Biden (D) for their policy at the border, even claiming the historic numbers of illegal immigrant crossings are “on purpose.”

“It’s obvious to me that he is not doing his job, and it’s also obvious to me that him and the President are doing this on purpose because there’s plenty of evidence, there’s plenty of people telling him that they have to change their policy in order to stop what’s going on at the border and they refuse to do this,” said Gimenez. “You can’t be – and I’ve said this many times – you can’t be this dumb.”

Congressman Gimenez represents Florida’s 28^th Congressional District.

The post Gimenez: Iran Has American Officials 'On Their Hit List' appeared first on The Floridian.

Venezuelans seem to finally be optimistic about their country’s future, starting with the prospect of a general presidential election in 2024, where front-runner candidate Maria Corina Machado, who won Venezuela’s opposition primary election On October 22 by garnering a staggering 93% of the votes, would easily beat dictator Nicolas Maduro.  That is if she’s given a chance.

A few days after her win, she was ‘invalidated’ from running by the Supreme Court in a highly criticized ruling.

A recent poll by Venezuelan firm Meganalisis found that Machado would win over Maduro with 70% of the votes. The same poll also found that at least 80% of respondents considered that socialism was bad and brought misery to the country.

There’s a lot of skepticism surrounding Machado’s ability to participate in the general election even if the elections themselves will be held.  However, analysts and Latin American experts agree that all parties have a lot to win by complying with the so-called “Barbados agreement”, a series of commitments between the Venezuelan opposition and Maduro’s representatives, to hold “freer and fairer” presidential elections next year.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart recently praised Machado's leadership, saying that he was "In awe of her" because he felt "she is tough, smart, she’s hard-working and a she’s a true Venezuelan patriot."

The elections would allow any opposition leader to compete, implementing deep reforms to the often-criticized electoral system, allowing international observers to monitor the election, and freeing political prisoners.

In exchange, the Biden administration granted a six-month general license temporarily authorizing U.S. transactions in the oil and gas sector in Venezuela, and a second general license authorizing the operations of state-run Minerven, a previously sanctioned gold mining enterprise that had been trading in the black market

Machado’s “invalidation” has been denounced by some legislators, including Florida Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and representatives Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez.  But even Machado herself has made it clear that, up until now, the Maduro government has not violated the Barbados agreement:

“The primaries cannot be nullified; the primaries took place.  The Supreme Court can say whatever it wants but the fact is there and it’s irreversible,” adding, “so I don’t think that the [Barbados] agreement has been breached, not yet.  I mean, forcefully preventing the primaries from taking place would have breached the agreement but that didn’t happen.  So I think that the regime is straining the rope but it’s not yet broken,” Machado said in an interview to Spanish-language news portal Infobae.

Asked by TV station NTN24 if she thinks that the U.S. rushed into loosening economic sanctions, Machado said that “before judging results, we need to wait for the deadline,” referring to the Nov. 30^th deadline set by the Biden administration for the Maduro regime to establish “a process for the rehabilitation of all the candidates, including María Corina Machado,” according to White House Latin America advisor Juan Gonzalez. “We have to see results showing that this first step has been successful,” he added. The Biden administration has taken “a fairly big step to send the signal of our commitment, but after November 30 if those expectations are not met, we will have to take steps to dismantle that sanctions relief.”

Although the U.S.’ sanctions relief has been controversial, many analysts believe that “the Biden administration has the opportunity to succeed where all of its predecessors fell short,” said Mark Feiernstein, senior advisor to the U.S. Institute of Peace Latin America Program, at an InterAmerican Dialogue (IAD) forum on the future of Venezuela, adding, “for a quarter century the U.S. has been battling how to engage the Venezuelan government, first under Chavez and then under Maduro, and all the administrations have so far failed.”

Feierstein added that the Biden administration has had concrete achievements “using diplomacy and leveraging sanctions,” and with the negotiation, several important elements have been accomplished, “the primaries took place on Oct 22, electoral observers are arriving in [Venezuela], like the Carter Center and political prisoners have been released.”

Claudia Nikken, Executive Secretary for the Venezuelan Unitary Platform, who also participated in the IAD forum, said that the Barbados agreement is an initial one that took a lot of time and effort. “It took 26 months of complex formal and informal negotiations to take that first but firm step to build a path that will or should allow the country to advance toward restoring democracy.” She also warned that the process would not be “without obstacles and hardships,” highlighting that without this agreement “the primary election would probably not have happened.  Now we have to protect its impact.”

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The horrific attack perpetrated by Hamas against Israel on October 7th created a firestorm of antisemitism in America. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has introduced resolutions demanding people in the US on student or work visas who condoned Hamas' atrocities have those visas revoked and their holders deported. The Senate has blocked this resolution a second time.

More egregiously, the decision was made within hours of pro-Palestine protesters storming the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington demanding a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that quickly became violent.

In his press release, Sen. Rubio said, "A visa is not a constitutional right. It is a temporary permission for foreign nationals to visit our country. Supporting terrorism, as defined by U.S. law, disqualifies individuals from having a visa. It makes no sense to protect foreign nationals who support terrorism, but that is exactly what the Senate just voted to do."

The resolution was initially introduced in mid-October, with Sen. Rubio declaring it was "common sense" and that "You’re a visitor…You’re here because we gave you a visa to be here temporarily. And now you’re out there defending and supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization. You need to go."

Shortly after at the beginning of November, Rubio introduced two additional bills aimed at further cracking down on Hamas and domestic support for the group. The first, named the Ending Subsidies for Pro-Terrorist Activities on Campus Act, would demand colleges and universities actively discourage and investigate incidences of antisemitism and pro-terrorist sentiment displayed on their campuses.

The second, the Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act largely resembled Rubio's resolution in denying visas to sympathizers of Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

Further efforts made by Rubio included his encouragement of the Senate to pass a House bill aimed at sanctioning Hamas, saying, "We must hold accountable the individuals who are aiding Hamas terrorists and Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

As luck would have it, the United States and the United Kingdom recently announced joint sanctions against the terrorist group, though Rubio said this was too late.

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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray were grilled by Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) on the southern border during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, and needless to say, he did not mince words, accusing Wray specifically of dereliction of duty.

Rep. Gimenez began by asking Sec. Mayorkas if he agreed with President Biden reversing former President Donald Trump's border policies, to which Mayorkas answered yes. From here, the next question was what specific dynamic Mayorkas and Biden have when changing and implementing border policy.

"Have you relayed that to the President, and has he said that he is in agreement with your recommendations, or has he made recommendations to you? Or are you actually given your orders and say, 'No, I want to do this?' Do you agree with everything, all the policies that have been implemented since you have been the Secretary of Homeland Security?" asked Rep. Gimenez.

Mayorkas said he would "not get into the specifics of [his] conversations," so Gimenez pivoted to Director Wray and how funding at the border has not changed since Fiscal Year 2020. Yet the number of migrant encounters increased by 400% in a single year, from 458,000 in 2020 to 1.7 million in 2021 and 2.378 million in 2022.

"There was really no significant change in funding," Gimenez highlighted, "So this whole narrative that somehow funding is the issue on things is not the issue. The issue is policy," he continued, making a familiar statement.

Including the number of gotaways, we have massive numbers of people in the country who "We haven't the faintest idea who they are, we do not know where they came from, we do not know where they are, and we do not know why they are here. And so again, Director Wray, does that pose a threat to the security of the United States?" Gimenez asked.

Wray answered that the population is "a serious concern for us," yet did not elaborate further.

As a result, Gimenez pointed out that the Mexican drug cartels just over the border have killed over 100,000 Americans every year selling fentanyl, "and we do nothing about it."

"They are right there, we know who they are, we know where they are operating, and we do nothing about it. That is a dereliction of duty," the Florida Congressman concluded.

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Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) has faced yet another defeat at the hands of House Republicans. After Rep. Greene introduced a resolution to impeach U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, eight Republicans joined  Democrats in voting for the motion to refer.

In a 209-201 floor vote, lawmakers struck down a motion to impeach Secretary Mayorkas.

Of the 209 that voted against impeaching Mayorkas, eight were Republicans. These were Oregon Rep. Cliff Bentz (R), Ohio Rep. Mike Turner (R), Colorado Rep. Ken Buck (R), California Reps. John Duarte (R), Tom McClintock (R), and Darrell Issa (R), and North Carolina Reps. Patrick McHenry (R) and Virginia Foxx (R).

In her impeachment resolution, Greene accuses Mayorkas of being guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” regarding his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Greene argues that Mayorkas “has failed to maintain operational control of the border.” As well, Greene has accused Mayorkas of “willful admittance of border crossers, terrorists, human traffickers, drugs, and other contraband.”

This is Greene's second attempt to impeach Mayorkas.

After the vote, Greene expressed her disappointment during a press conference.

Affirming that “we need impeachment,” Greene called it an instrument that was left by the founders in the constitution.” Greene called the House “tone deaf,” arguing that they are much more interested in ineffective approaches like “hearings,” “strongly worded messages.

“Americans are fed up with it….I am particularly outraged at four of the eight Republicans that voted to shelf these articles of impeachment… because four of them serve on the judiciary committee, and I want you to know that my articles of impeachment have been in the judiciary committee for six months, sitting on a shelf, so these four judiciary members – Republicans – voted to send them back up on the shelf where they will never be picked up and see the light of day in a committee forward,” she informed.

WATCH:

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