WASHINGTON —  Democrats on Capitol Hill are eager to rebuff the Republican portrayal of border issues and the idea that President Joe Biden’s party is unwilling to work on border security. As one Texas Democrat leads a new task force urging Congress to come together, another is signing on as he prepares to go head-to-head with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in the fall.

What You Need To Know

  • A group of Democrats from across the country are signing onto a new working group aimed at jump-starting the border security and immigration debate after the recent failure in the Senate to pass bipartisan legislation

  • Rep. Henry Cuellar, a moderate Democrat from Laredo, is chair of the task force 

  • Among the Texas Democrats joining the task force is Rep. Colin Allred, who running for U.S. Senate against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz

A group of Democrats from across the country are signing onto a new working group aimed at jump-starting the border security and immigration debate after the recent failure in the Senate to pass bipartisan legislation. It is being led by moderate Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.

“We just can't talk about the problem. We have to support the funding. We have to pass legislation,” Cuellar told Spectrum News. “I'm asking my Republican friends not just talk about the problem, but actually come up with a real practical solution like we want to do.” 

Among the Texas Democrats joining the task force are Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, and Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas. Allred recently clinched the Democratic nomination to take on Cruz in November. 

Border security and immigration have emerged as top issues for voters this year and it is seen as more of a political liability for Biden. Democrats hope to flip the script on the GOP. 

“They're places where real people live, where they're trying to raise their families,” Allred said Tuesday at a press conference announcing the task force. “I am sick and tired of politicians talking about the problem, about the crisis that we are experiencing at our border, but being unwilling to actually solve it. The cynicism of saying that I don't want to pass a package that will help us address a problem because I want to run on that in November is unacceptable.” 

But in another contentious election year, it appears that hardline GOP lawmakers will not budge. Texas Republicans in both chambers stand behind the House-passed border security bill, known as H.R. 2, that would in part impose strict asylum restrictions and require more border wall construction.

Spectrum News caught up with Cruz, who reiterated his comments that the Senate bill aimed to give Democrats running for office “political camouflage” and said it was a “fake bill.”

“It also provided immediate work permits to illegal immigrants. It also provided taxpayer funded lawyers to some of the illegal immigrants coming. It also provided billions of dollars to sanctuary cities and billions of dollars to the NGOs that are helping traffic people. It was a terrible bill,” Cruz said. “It should have been called the open borders forever bill because that's what it was designed to do.” 

Democrats across the political spectrum have criticized Republicans for essentially acquiescing to former President Donald Trump when he came out against the bipartisan senate bill, saying it would be politically bad for GOP candidates like himself.