DeSantis lights into Biden during TPUSA speech amid rampant 2024 speculation
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday night tore into President Biden in his address to the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, amid rampant speculation that he could be set to run for president in 2024. “With Biden, you think of a guy staring into the teleprompter like a deer in the headlights,” DeSantis, a Republican, said in his speech at the conservative gathering. “I must say he did test positive for COVID,” DeSantis added, acknowledging Biden’s positive coronavirus diagnosis this week. “And I want to on the behalf of the state of Florida wish President Biden a speedy recovery from COVID. And I also want to wish the United States of America a speedy recovery from Joe Biden.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican speaks to the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 22, 2022.
(Sarah Freeman/Fox News)DESANTIS HAS NOT ASKED FOR TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT: REPORTThe governor, widely considered the second leading contender for the GOP nomination in 2024 behind former President Donald Trump, hit Biden over inflation, energy and immigration, among other things. “He came in and cranked the printing presses, kneecapped American energy, and he also opened our southern border,” DeSantis said. “And what we’ve seen in the last year and a half is the largest illegal migration into this country in the history of the United States of America. We have record human trafficking, we have record sex trafficking, and we have record drug trafficking.”The governor also dove into the culture wars, which he’s fully embraced in his tenure as the state’s chief executive.He bragged about his state’s handling of COVID-19. He touted the new Florida law that bans lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity for kids in third grade or younger. He panned other states like Oregon and Minnesota, which saw major riots in recent years. And he crowed about a law his state passed banning critical race theory in schools.
President Biden speaks about inflation and supply chain issues in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)2024 POLL: DESANTIS NARROWLY EDGES TRUMP IN NEW POLL IN LEAD OFF PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE”We make sure in Florida, we do not use our tax dollars to teach our kids to hate this country or to hate each other on the basis of race,” DeSantis said.DeSantis, a Navy veteran, also panned “woke ideology,” saying it’s “infected,” many major organizations including the military. “They’re more apt to be talking about pronouns than they are about winning wars,” DeSantis saidDeSantis predicted a “red wave” in 2022. But he notably did not mention Trump during the speech, as he and the former president continue to dominate the GOP political scene, neither attacking nor boosting each other in their public appearances
Former President Donald Trump has consistently hinted at a potential White House run in 2024, even as several other contenders set themselves up in position for a possible run.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe governor is up for reelection in 2022, facing a yet-to-be-determined Democrat nominee. The Democrats running include Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla. There are several other Republicans making moves that potentially foreshadow a 2024 presidential run. Among them are former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and others. But few if any of those candidates are picking up as much widespread buzz in the GOP as DeSantis, whose combative style with Democrats in the press often mirrors that of Trump himself. Fox Nation is a sponsor of the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.Fox News’ Sarah Freeman contributed to this report.
Hawley doesn't 'regret anything' he did Jan. 6 after House panel assails his conduct
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
TAMPA, Fla. – Sen. Josh Hawley says he doesn’t have any regrets about what he did on January 6, after the House committee investigating the attack spotlighted his actions that day in its most recent hearing Thursday evening. “No, I don’t regret anything on that day, I would do it again,” Hawley, R-Mo., said Friday when asked by Fox News Digital if he regretted waving at a crowd of protesters as he entered the Capitol that day, in a picture that eventually went viral. The comment came after the committee included new footage of Hawley on that day running in the Capitol as the mob Trump supporters breached the building. Hawley spoke to Fox News Digital at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.
Sen. Josh Hawley raises his fist to protesters outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a photo displayed during a January 6 Committee hearing on July 21, 2021.
(January 6 Committee/Youtube)MIKE PENCE SECRET SERVICE AGENTS FEARED FOR THEIR LIVES, SAID GOODBYES TO FAMILY: JAN. 6 COMMITTEE”Always an honor to be attacked by the January Sixth clown car,” Hawley also told Fox News Digital. “And that’s what it really is. I mean, this is an attempt to talk about anything other than the Democrats record, their obsession with President Trump, their obsession with people who have supported MAGA voters, who are MAGA voters, and their effort to demonize half the country.”Hawley added: “So, you know, I imagine they’ll go right on doing it because they don’t want to talk about what voters actually want to talk about.”Hawley that day voted to reject both the electoral votes from Pennsylvania and Arizona. He was the senator who led the objection to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
Sen. Josh Hawley speaks with Fox News Digital at the Turniing Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Fla.
(Nikolas Lanum/Fox News)MELANIA TRUMP SAYS SHE WAS ‘FULFILLING’ OFFICIAL DUTIES AS FIRST LADY ON JAN. 6: ‘I ALWAYS CONDEMN VIOLENCE’Former President Donald Trump and his allies were encouraging senators and members of Congress to reject electors ahead of January 6. They claimed without proof that the elections were stolen for then-President-elect Joe Biden in those states.Trump held a rally on the Ellipse the morning of January 6, as Congress was preparing to certify the Electoral College results. But a crowd of Trump’s supporters breached the Capitol, forcing hundreds of lawmakers and former Vice President Mike Pence into hiding. The January 6 Committee members say they are investigating the days and weeks leading up to the attack, the attack itself, and the immediate aftermath of it, with the goal of establishing who is responsible. They argue that it’s Trump.
Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., listen as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)Republicans, meanwhile, charge that the committee is illegitimate because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., would not seat the members chosen for it by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. With only two Republicans on the committee – both chosen by Pelosi – the Republicans say the panel amounts to a political witch hunt. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP”The only thing they care about is tearing down their political opponents,” Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who was rejected from the committee by Pelosi, said on “Hannity” Thursday.Thursday night’s hearing is expected to be the last one for the committee until at least September, although it has scheduled surprise hearings before. Members of the committee emphasize that it continues to collect additional information on the attack and Trump’s alleged role in inspiring it. Fox Nation is a sponsor of the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.
Legislators target TikTok, social media dangers with bipartisan CHATS Act: 'The Wild West'
How is TikTok different in China versus America? WARNING-GRAPHIC FOOTAGE: Former Air Force chief software officer Nicholas Chaillan examines the difference between what American users and Chinese consumers see on their TikTok feeds on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight.’NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., have introduced new legislation targeting TikTok and other social media apps the legislators say present dangers to young users.The legislators explained the Combating Harmful Acts on Social Media Act (CHATS) Act would modify the FBI’s uniform crime reporting program to include information about which offenses were tied to which social media platforms.The bill, which is backed by the National Fraternal Order of Police support, has three goals, Gottheimer said: to protect children from the data-sharing dangers of TikTok; to put pressure on TikTok — owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance — for tracking user data, including childrens’ personal information; and to hold other social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram accountable for their ties to criminal activity, such as drug deals.CHINA ACCESSED DATA OF US TIKTOK USERS REPEATEDLY, REPORT SAYS”It really is the Wild West, and our children are the natives of the social media landscape,” said Dr. Laura Berman, who lost her son, Sammy, to fentanyl poisoning in 2021 after he unknowingly purchased drugs laced with fentanyl on Snapchat.
Reps. Gottheimer and Fitzpatrick introduced a bill that would modify the FBI’s uniform crime reporting program to include information about which offenses were tied to which social media platform(s).
(Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Fitzgerald described the bill as an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to combating privacy and security issues that social media platforms present to both child and adult users. The Pennsylvania and New Jersey representatives also set a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew detailing their privacy concerns for Americans who use the short-form video app.GOP LAWMAKERS LAUNCH PROBE OF TIKTOK’S SHARING OF USER DATA WITH CHINESE PARENT COMPANYData collected by TikTok “can not only be used to detect the travel and financial habits of Americans, but it could also yield sensitive information about their relationships, behaviors, preferences, and vulnerabilities,” the letter states. “If this data was shared with any foreign nations, it would represent a vital national security risk, which I would urge Congress and the Administration to address.”Berman, host of “The Dr. Laura Berman Show,” and Samuel Chapman know first-hand about the dangers that social media apps present to children.A drug dealer approached their son, Sammy, on Snapchat — which can be set to delete messages after 24 hours or immediately after they are sent so that there is no traceable history of a conversation — and offered to sell him pills, which Chapman and Berman later discovered were illicitly manufactured. The Los Angeles dealer had shared a colorful advertisement on Snapchat with Sammy, showing the types of drugs he was selling.FATHER WHO LOST SON TO FENTANYL POISONING CALLS ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE ACTION: ‘WE ARE BEING MASSACRED’When Berman and Chapman found their son dead on the floor of their home due to fentanyl poisoning, they were shocked when police told them that Snapchat could not help law enforcement locate the dealer who sold Sammy drugs. Since then, they have been advocating for more parental control on social media apps and more collaboration between social platforms and law enforcement.”I believe that the CHATS bill, if passed into law, will hold lawmakers and police accountable and make it important for the CEOs of these platforms … [who] treat it like a PR issue,” Chapman said, adding later that “social media has taken away parental control.”Berman emphasized that while parents like herself thought their kids would be safe staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced students to learn from home and spend time away from their other day-to-day activities, the increased time spent on social media apps presented a lesser-known but immediate danger.U.S. MOVING—SOME SAY TOO SLOWLY—TO ADDRESS TIKTOK SECURITY RISK”When they’re home under your roof, you know they’re safe. Well, thanks to social media, that’s no longer true,” she explained. “The drug dealers find our kids on social media. They don’t have to lure them.”She added that drug dealers’ “primary marketing tool” is social media. Apps such as Snapchat and TikTok, therefore, play a role in drug poisoning and other crimes like human trafficking.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP China not only has control over ByteDance, which owns TikTok, but Chinese drug manufacturers are “shuttling fentanyl into Mexico, and then the drug cartels are reformatting it into counterfeit drugs that look like real drugs,” Berman said. Both parents hope that the CHATS Act, if passed, will hold social media executives accountable for crimes that occur or begin on their platforms.
Moms mobilize in local races for the 2022 midterm elections
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Moms mobilized by COVID school closures have channeled their energy into politics, and not just by electing officials they agree with — now they’re recruiting and running for positions themselves. The group “Moms for Liberty” started in the wake of school closures and grew due to curriculum inclusions on gender and sexuality that many parents were unaware of until they became more involved. “Parents realized that this American government does not work well without us,” said Tiffany Justice, one of the co-founders of the group. “And while we were busy raising our kids and working, we saw during COVID that elected officials abdicated their authority.”Justice’s group held their first annual event in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend to help train, recruit and educate parents who want to get more involved in their local school boards or even run for office themselves. “Parents are ready to take the reins in school districts across the country to sit on school boards,” she said. “And we feel like we were able to give parents a lot of good skills, tips and resources to be able to be effective candidates as well.”
A little boy clings to his mom for reassurance on the first day of school.
(iStock)SAN DIEGO PARENTS FURIOUS AS SCHOOLS RETURN TO MASK MANDATES AND REMOTE CLASSES: ‘WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP’Esther Wells, a parent in Maryland and a school board candidate decided to run after her children — including one with disabilities — had extended virtual-only school. “With the virtual-only option, my son lost all of his resources and has significantly regressed in his schoolwork,” she said Monday on “FOX & Friends First.” “And that’s when I said I needed to step up as a mom and run for the Board of Education.”Parents say the issue of school closures may have faded from the headlines, but they are still seeing the effects on their kids and are pointing the blame straight at elected officials at the time. One official who kept schools open in his state amid much criticism, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., spoke at the Tampa event. He said that as a result of the state’s decision, their students are largely on track academically while other states that did lengthy remote learning are behind. “In Florida, over the last two years, there’s been no increase, no widening of the achievement gap, between rich, poor, black, white,” he said. “Because we had kids, and you know what, the California school closures and all these other places, you know, that hurts disadvantaged kids the most.”
A student wears a mask and face shield in a 4th grade class amid the COVID-19 pandemic at Washington Elementary School in Lynwood, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2022.
(AP)BIDEN’S BREAKTHROUGH COVID INFECTION: THE ‘ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM’ IS HE IS ‘PUSHING 80 YEARS OLD,’ SAYS RILEYBut Democrats are fighting back against the idea that they don’t want open schools or parent involvement. Last month, the Biden administration launched the National Parents and Families Engagement Council to link families and educators together and involve parents more in their child’s education. “The Council will help foster a collaborative environment where we can work together to serve the best interest of students and ensure they have the academic and mental health support they need to recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in a statement last month.
President Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona deliver remarks during an event for the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year in the East Room of the White House in Washington on April 27, 2022.
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPConservative groups, however, are pushing back against that council, labeling it as yet another instance of political bias, which they say violates federal law. Fight for Schools, Parents Defending Education and America First Legal are suing over claims the members of the council are all Biden allies and Democratic donors. The lawsuit alleges the council’s members are allies of the Biden administration and that nearly 80% of their leaders have donated to Biden or other Democrats.Justice says she hopes the agency gets back to focusing on educating rather than activism. “Parents want the unions and the Department of Education to get back to focusing on teaching and learning or to get out of the business of education,” she said.
Newly sworn-in SEC commissioner is former Pelosi aide
The Pelosis are the definition of ‘insiders’: Tom Fitton Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton suggests an investigation into Nancy Pelosi’s stock purchase ahead of the congressional vote on subsidies for chip manufacturers. He also discusses the possible charges against Hunter Biden.NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A newly sworn-in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commissioner is a former staffer for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.SEC commissioner Jaime Lizárraga was sworn in on Monday to his position in the financial regulatory body.Lizárraga was Pelosi’s senior advisor and director of member services for over a decade.BILL TO PREVENT LAWMAKERS AND THEIR SPOUSES FROM STOCK TRADING AT STANDSTILL AS PELOSI FACES BACKLASH
Jaime Lizárraga, a former adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was sworn in as an Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commissioner on Monday.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)According to Legistorm, Lizárraga joined Pelosi’s staff as a senior adviser while she was the House minority leader and after she became speaker again.Prior to Pelosi’s staff, Lizárraga worked as deputy director of legislative affairs for the SEC and also worked on the House Financial Services Committee.Lizárraga’s swearing-in come as Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi face scrutiny over trades of Nvidia stock that came before a vote on a tech bill.
Pelosi denied her husband, Paul Pelosi, had made stock trades or purchases using information he received from her after being pressed on the issue by Fox News Digital.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)On Thursday, in response to a question from Fox News Digital, Pelosi said her husband, Paul Pelosi, never made stock purchases based on inside information he might have received. “No. Absolutely not,” she said.The denial came after Pelosi made headlines when her husband, who has become known for making stock trades worth millions, made a purchase of computer chip stock.Pelosi’s office has defended purchases by her husband and reiterated that Pelosi, who could bring a measure preventing lawmakers and their spouses from trading stock to the House floor for a vote, does not own any stock.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPPelosi is worth an estimated $114 million, according to her 2018 personal financial disclosure. She is the sixth-richest member of the House and the 10th richest member of Congress, according to data tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics.Several elected Republicans and Democrats have spoken out in recent months in favor of efforts and measures to prevent members of Congress from stock trading, but it appears there is no consensus among members in the Senate or House on what a final bill should look like.Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed reporting.
Biden, with COVID, makes unscheduled virtual appearance to talk about gas prices
Biden suffering mild COVID symptoms Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich has the latest on the president’s condition and health protocols following his positive COVID-19 test on ‘Special Report.’NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Biden, who is contending COVID-19, made brief, unscheduled remarks Friday afternoon about his administration’s efforts to reduce record-high gas prices and increase U.S. oil production.Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday and is experiencing mild symptoms, appeared virtually for an unscheduled briefing with his economic team Friday.”Let me start by apologizing, my voice, I’m feeling much better than I sound,” the president, who coughed multiple times during the appearance, said.”We have some really good news. Gas prices are coming down,” he continued. “In fact, gas prices fall every day this summer for 38 days in a row.”WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT GOP CLAIMS BIDEN ADMIN IS SELLING SPR OIL TO CHINA: ‘RIDICULOUS AND FALSE’Biden said Americans now “can find gas for $3.99 or less at more than 30,000 gas stations in more than 34 states.””We’ve been working really hard to bring the price down,” he said.Biden, referring to his order to release 1 million barrels a day of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve per day, said he “led the world to coordinate the largest release of oil reserves in history, including from other countries.” “In total, more than 240 million barrels to boost global supply,” Biden said.Biden said that he has also been “working to increase U.S. production,” saying the U.S. is “producing 12 million barrels per day and we’re on track to hit record highs.””I’ve been working to make sure that when the price of oil comes down, the price at the pump comes down as well—it comes down in real time,” he said.Biden said, “The good news is that’s happening, but it’s not happening fast enough. “We made progress, but prices are still too high,” Biden said, stressing that his administration is looking for ways to “increase oil production from the existing wells and permits that exist today.””The industry has more approved programs for production on federal lands than they can possibly use,” Biden said, pushing back at GOP criticisms that his administration is not approving new land permits fast enough. Biden, delivering a “message” to oil companies said: “Use the permit or lose that. Don’t say we can, you don’t have access.”Biden also said companies are “making record profits” due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.GOP HAMMERS BIDEN FOR ALLOWING EMERGENCY OIL RESERVES TO GO TO CHINA: ‘COMPROMISING OUR ENERGY SECURITY'”Use those profits to increase production and refining,” he said. “Don’t use those profits to buy back your stocks and dividends.” Biden also said allies and partners agreed at the G-7 summit last month to “keep supply up and Putin’s revenues down in the days and weeks ahead.””I’m going to keep doing what I can to bring down the price of gas at the pump. But the real answer is to get to a clean energy economy as soon as possible, turn this into something positive,” Biden said.”That’s how we protect the climate and create jobs,” Biden said, noting that he will “have a lot more to say about this in our discussions and more in the coming days.”The White House physician said Friday that President Biden’s COVID-19 symptoms “have improved” but shared that he had a fever Thursday night.The president’s physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said the president “completed his first full day of Paxlovid last night.””His symptoms have improved,” O’Connor said, noting that the president “did mount a temperature yesterday evening to 99.4°F, which responded favorably to acetaminophen (TYLENOL).” “His temperature has remained normal since then,” O’Connor said. His symptoms remain characterized as rhinorrhea (‘runny nose’) and fatigue, with an occasional non-productive, now ‘loose’ cough.”His voice is deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal, on room air,” O’Connor said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP”There has been nothing in the course of his illness thus far which gives me cause to alter that initial expectation,” O’Connor said, adding that “early use of Paxlovid provides additional protection against severe disease.”
House Democrats introduce bill to revive amnesty push for illegal immigrants
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Dozens of House Democrats this week introduced legislation that would grant amnesty to illegal immigrants who have been in the country for more than seven years — reviving a failed attempt from last year.The “Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929,” is sponsored by 46 lawmakers and would update a registry in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).That registry allows the Homeland Security Secretary to “register” illegal immigrants for permanent status if they have been in the country since before a certain date. That date was last updated to Jan. 1 1972 during the Reagan administration.The latest Democratic bill would update the registry, but instead of setting a firm date would make the eligibility “rolling,” meaning that illegal immigrants who have been in the country for seven years would be eligible for legalization — and eventual citizenship.GOP STATES PUSH BACK AGAINST DC, NYC CALLS FOR FEDERAL HELP WITH MIGRANT SURGE The main sponsors of the bill are Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.,, Norma Torres, D-Calif., Grace Meng, D-NY, Lou Correa, D-Calif., Adriano Espaillat, D-NY,, and Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill. It has also been backed by a slew of immigration rights organizations and other liberal groups.”For decades, immigrants who contribute significantly to our communities and our economy, have been relegated to a legal limbo,” Lofgren said in a statement. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to provide these immigrants with the stability and certainty they and their families deserve. Updating this historically bipartisan provision to provide lawful permanent resident status to immigrants who have been a part of our communities for years will make our immigration system fairer and our country stronger.”
A group of Brazilian migrants make their way around a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border in Yuma, Ariz., seeking asylum in the U.S. after crossing over from Mexico, June 8, 2021.
((AP Photo/Eugene Garcia, File))Rep. Garcia, meanwhile, estimated that it would give a legal pathway to a massive eight million illegal immigrants.”Today there is renewed hope for millions of immigrants who have lived in our country, formed families, bought homes, and have been part of their communities, sometimes for decades,” he said. “This bill provides an opportunity to give peace of mind and a legal path for approximately 8 million immigrants.MANCHIN DEALS MAJOR BLOW TO DEMOCRATIC EFFORTS TO INCLUDE AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SPENDING BILL Democrats had included a provision to update the registry last year, when Democrats were proposing amnesty provisions that could potentially be included in a budget reconciliation bill. Such a bill would only need 50 votes in the Senate and therefore not require any Republican support if all Democrats were united. However, the “Plan B,” which would have updated the registry to allow illegal immigrants in the country before 2010 to be legalized, was rejected by the parliamentarian — and the budget reconciliation proposal as a whole was torpedoed when Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he wouldn’t support it.2021 IN REVIEW: HOW THE PUSH FOR AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS STUMBLED Republicans, including lawmakers who are typically open to negotiation on immigration matters, have repeatedly ruled out support for amnesty provisions unless there is progress with solving the enormous migrant crisis that has overwhelmed the southern border.There were more than 209,000 migrant encounters in June alone, 79,652 of whom were released into the United States. There have been 1,746,119 total encounters at the southern border the current fiscal year — already eclipsing last fiscal year’s historic numbers.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPTop Biden administration officials have backed calls for pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week claimed the border is “secure” and appeared to push for lawmakers to pass legislation that would include some form of amnesty.”I have said to a number of legislators who expressed to me that we need to address the challenge at the border before they pass legislation and I take issue with the math of holding the solution hostage until the problem is resolved,” he said.