Lauren Boebert Calls for Alligators To Be Deployed at Southern Border
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) arrives to a House Republicans to hear from members running for U.S. Speaker of House in the Longworth House Office Building on October 11, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert fired back at California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia’s claims over Donald Trump’s border policy, saying she would happily sign legislation that included “alligator moats” to secure the southern border.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday to discuss the recent migrant surge at the southern border, House Republicans pushed forward their initiative to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, whom they have accused of failing to enforce U.S. immigration policies at the border. Mayorkas, who did not attend the hearing, rejected the accusation, while Democrats objected to the impeachment proceedings.
Among them was Garcia, who during the hearing reminded his fellow members of Congress of the unsound border policies suggested by former President Trump, including building “alligator moats along the border. That’s one of his incredible ideas,” he said. In a 2019 article, The New York Times mentioned that Trump had privately often talked about using snakes or alligators to fortify the border.
“The Donald Trump and MAGA plan is alligator moats, bombing northern Mexico, shooting migrants in the legs, and electrifying the fence, and putting spikes on them,” Garcia said on Tuesday. “That is the Donald Trump border plan.”
Mocking Garcia’s intervention, Boebert, a MAGA Republican and longtime Trump ally, told the far-right, pro-Trump news network One America News on Wednesday that she would co-sponsor legislation like the one recapped by the Democratic representative on Tuesday.
“I do believe that Robert Garcia did present to the nation our newest border bill with the gators, an electric fence and spikes,” she told One America News’ Dan Ball, laughing. “Sign me up, just don’t take any more taxes, but I’m for it,” responded Ball.
“Sign me up, I will co-sponsor that legislation, I’m happy to,” she said. “Also, I do think that the originator, the original man who claimed that we need gators and a moat at the border, was comedian Ron White, so I think we need to give some credit to him there. All jokes aside, this is a serious matter and we do need to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable.”
Newsweek contacted Garcia’s and Boebert’s press offices for comment by email early on Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, the GOP-controlled homeland security committee voted along party lines to advance two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas for his alleged “willful and systematic” refusal to enforce immigration laws at the border. While all Democrats voted against it, the decision passed with an 18 to 15 vote.
House Republicans didn’t provide any clear evidence that Mayorkas committed high crimes and misdemeanors, which are required for impeachment.
The issue of border security is shaping out to be crucial ahead of the November presidential election, with Republicans hammering the Biden administration for the surge in the number of migrant arrivals last year. In December, officials reported a record high of 302,000 migrant encounters in the U.S.-Mexico border.
A new Senate bipartisan immigration bill is in the works, which Biden has committed to sign into law. But the House is unlikely to pass it to avoid delivering a win to the incumbent ahead of November 5.
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