Staff Reports
The House of Representatives showed who’s boss by passing the Laken Riley Act, a major win for Republicans in their ongoing battle to put the smackdown on the Biden administration’s do-nothing border policies. This bill requires immigration officials to lock up immigrants charged with crimes, and it’s no surprise that GOP members were all over this like ketchup on fries.
The House Republicans flexed some serious political muscles, with a whopping 251 to 170 vote in favor of the bill. Even some Democrats, about 37 of them, decided to hop on the GOP train and support the legislation. It’s like a big thumbs-down to the Biden administration’s weak border security game.
Biden gets fried with the passing of the Laken Riley Act.
Americans have had enough of the Democrat assault on American Security. https://t.co/ClOa6XVDsY
— Tricia Flanagan (R-NJ) (@NewDayForNJ) March 7, 2024
The bill is honoring the memory of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who tragically lost her life at the hands of a Venezuelan immigrant who waltzed across the border. This heart-wrenching story has become the poster child for Republican efforts to highlight the dire consequences of lax immigration policies, especially with President Biden’s State of the Union speech around the corner.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) didn’t hold back, declaring that if the Biden administration had actually done its job, Laken Riley would still be living her best life. The Laken Riley Act is the GOP’s way of giving a big shout-out to Americans and saying, “We’ve got your back!”
Republican lawmakers are on a mission to make sure the president owns up to his mess. They’re crossing their fingers that during the State of the Union address, President Biden will have the guts to say Laken Riley’s name and acknowledge the other victims out there. But some Republicans are not holding their breath, given that they’re unimpressed with Biden’s lackluster border security efforts.
It’s clear that the GOP isn’t about to let Laken Riley fade into oblivion. In fact, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) paid her the ultimate tribute by inviting her parents to the State of the Union address. Even though they couldn’t make it, Collins left an empty seat in her honor, making a powerful statement about the devastating impact of illegal immigrant crimes.
Thanks to the GOP’s hard-hitting stance, Laken Riley’s story has become a rallying cry against Biden’s border blunders, stirring up a storm of calls to reinstate the tough border policies from the good old days of the Trump administration. It’s like the GOP is waving an American flag and shouting, “We’re not taking this nonsense anymore!”
