U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter slamming President Biden for using COVID-19 as a ploy to keep the northern border closed to Montana families and businesses, while keeping the southern border wide open to illegal drugs and illegal immigrants, many of them potentially COVID-19 positive. The Senator is demanding answers regarding the Administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the midst of the southern border crisis.
“Recently, your administration made the unilateral decision to extend the northern border closure until at least August 21, 2021, despite Canada’s intention to loosen travel restrictions for fully vaccinated Americans beginning today, and despite great strides made by both countries to rollout COVID-19 vaccines,” Daines said. “While your administration has decided to keep the northern border closed, the southern border continues to see an unabated and unprecedented influx of migrants as a direct result of your administration’s policies, many of them from nations with weak or non-existent vaccination efforts. This double standard is a threat to our national and economic security and must end immediately.”
Read the letter HERE.
Last month, Canada announced they would reopen the northern border for fully vaccinated Americans beginning today after keeping the border shut since March 21, 2020. Despite this, Biden renewed the northern border closure.
There is a 21-year high of illegal border crossings on our southern border causing facilities to become overcrowded and many reports are indicating COVID-positive migrants are being released into the United States.
Daines has been actively pushing the Biden administration to open the northern border between Montana and Canada for over a year.
Background:
On June 24, 2021, Daines introduced a bill with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to require the Biden administration to open the northern border.
On March 10, 2021, Daines sent a letter to the Biden Administration, urging them to safely reopen the border in support of Montana’s economy.
On June 17, 2020, Daines sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security urging them to safely reopen the border as soon as possible.
On April 3, 2020, Daines urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection to keep Montana’s ports of entry open to Montana agricultural and trade during the pandemic.
On March 20, 2020, Daines wrote President Trump about the importance of trade and travel over the Canadian border during the pandemic.
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Contact: Katherine McKeogh, Katie Schoettler