A moderate Texas Republican is "very disappointed" in President Joe Biden having said he wants to work with Republicans, but then he left him out of Sunday's first-time visit to the southern border, breaking a promise made in Uvalde.
"I'm very disappointed in the administration," Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told CBS's "Face the Nation." "You know, seven months ago, I hosted the president in Uvalde and I asked him to visit on the border. He looked me in the eye and he said, 'Tony, yes.'
"Seven months later, when I tried to be part of this El Paso visit, which I represent El Paso. I represent 50 – nearly 50% of the southern border. The White House told me I wasn't able to be part of it."
This points to the reality the Biden administration and Democrats are using this visit for a political photo opportunity, not real concern for the flood of illegal immigration, Gonzales suggested.
"That means that Democrats are using this as a political – they think this is a political challenge, not a policy challenge," Gonzales continued to host Margaret Brennan.
"Clearly that you know, you see these images a couple of weeks ago of hundreds of people in a cell: That's not a political challenge; that is a policy challenge."
The rejection of working with a moderate Republican on border policy is "frustrating," according to Gonzales.
"You're hearing them say, you know, that they want to work with Republicans," Gonzales said. "I'm not this crazy, extremist Republican.
"I'm jumping up and down, pushing against my party when I think it's right, looking for ways to solve problems. What I don't want to see is a terrorist action happen and say, 'I told you so.'
"I have no interest in that. I'm trying to keep America safe. The administration just has turned a blind eye. And it goes to show they think that their policy is correct. And it's dangerous."
Gonzales, who is vowing to vote against the House GOP rules package Monday – showing he is not all in on Republican partisanship – warned Americans should be scared about what Democrats seek to do on the border.
"It should scare the hell out of every American out there to say this administration is going to gonna double down," Gonzales said. "And it's going to taint the Biden administration. It's going to taint Biden's legacy."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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