Speaker Paul Ryan traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border to get a firsthand account of the illegal immigrant situation from border patrol agents on the ground.
During the visit, Ryan participated in a clearly staged horseback riding tour of the border, when the horse he was riding took off on him before border patrol agents had to come to his rescue.
Ryan’s ordeal was captured on video and can be seen below:
🚨 Alert: Paul Ryan on a horse (pretty, pretty good!) pic.twitter.com/9OddyKqR8Q
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 22, 2017
From The Hill:
Ryan also toured the Rio Grande and surrounding areas with Homeland Security officials by boat and helicopter. He’s also expected to visit the McAllen Border Control Station, which patrols 53 miles of the Rio Grande.
Several other members of Congress are also visiting the border this week while the House and Senate are out of session. Once back in session, lawmakers plan to consider legislation this year that would use taxpayer money to fund the border wall President Trump campaigned on.
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Ryan is being joined this week by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), who chairs an Appropriations subcommittee overseeing homeland security.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has posted multiple photos of his border tour on social media. One showed that Ryan isn’t the only lawmaker on horseback while touring the border. A photo posted by Cornyn shows Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) “on border horse patrol.”
While these three members of Congress visited the border to show their supposed concern for border security and ending illegal immigration, for years Republicans in Congress have been all talk and no action on the issue of immigration.
During the George W. Bush administration, Republicans, lead by Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, were close to passing a massive amnesty bill into law that would have paved the way for millions of illegal immigrants to obtain legal status in this country, rather than punishing those who entered this country illegally.
President Donald J. Trump has made illegal immigration a central issue in his presidency. Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump pledged to not only build a border wall but crack down on illegal immigrants entering this country and to deport criminal illegal aliens who pose a threat to this country and her people.
Given Republican failures to deliver on true immigration reform that secures the border and protects the American people, it wouldn’t be surprising if congressional Republicans impede the president’s agenda. We already have signs from some top Republicans that they are going to fight President Trump’s immigration pledge, once again proving their unwillingness to keep the American people safe.
Paul Ryan’s staged tour of the border is a perfect metaphor for how Republicans have failed to act on immigration. Appearing to care about the issue but in reality its all empty promises that never get fulfilled.
Do you agree that Republicans have failed on immigration for too long? Will President Trump be able to change things in Washington? Share your thoughts below!