A growing number of Democratic governors are openly expressing their concerns about President Joe Biden and his administration’s policies, citing their negative impact on their states and residents.
In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs is urging President Biden to reverse several immigration and border policies and allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to her state to address the challenges posed by successive waves of illegal migrants. Governor Hobbs plans to visit the border near Lukeville, Ariz., over the weekend to witness firsthand the unfolding situation, following a strongly-worded letter to President Biden criticizing the lack of border security in his policies.
“Hobbs told reporters on Friday that she will visit the southern border with the state’s top National Guard official as she navigates any state action to respond to the mounting situation in southeastern Arizona. The announcement came just as Hobbs’s office released a letter she sent Biden on Friday in which she told him to reassign military to the hard-hit area and reimburse Arizona for $512 million spent responding to the border crisis,” the Washington Examiner reported.
In her letter, Hobbs expressed, “For an extended period, Arizona has shouldered the consequences of federal inaction in effectively managing our southern border. The recent closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry has resulted in an escalating humanitarian crisis and has jeopardized Arizona’s safety and commerce.”
The closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry, mandated by a federal government directive on Monday, has compelled both American and Mexican residents to travel several hours to reach the nearest port of entry in Nogales, Ariz. Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) highlighted that travelers are now facing lines that stretch up to five hours.
Over the past six months, illegal immigration through the Tucson region of Arizona has been on the rise, reaching 17,500 arrests in the week ending on Nov. 30, up from 12,000 arrests per week six months ago. Data for the most recent week was anticipated to be released on Friday, as reported by the Examiner.
Week in Review…
– 17,500 Apprehensions
– 131 Federal Criminal Cases
– 18 Rescues
– 10 Human Smuggling Events
– 8 Narcotics Events #HonorFirst pic.twitter.com/cfie54n3Ya— John R. Modlin (@USBPChiefTCA) December 1, 2023
In a distinct report, the Examiner highlighted that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) strongly criticized the Biden administration for the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to tax the one-time tax rebates sent to the state earlier this year as federal income, deeming it “unacceptable.”
Governor Walz, a Democrat from Minnesota, expressed disapproval of the Biden administration’s decision to impose taxes on the rebates, ranging from $260 to $1,300 per eligible taxpayer. He conveyed his concerns while addressing the state budget surplus forecast earlier this week.
“Bulls***,” Walz said at a press conference on Wednesday. “I don’t know. It’s the IRS. I will tell you this: I have been on the phone, not much more judicious than that slip there, to let them know.”
“We’ll send Form 1099-MISC to all rebate recipients to use when filing U.S. individual income tax returns for 2023. If you include this payment in federal adjusted gross income, subtract it from Minnesota taxable income on line 33 of Schedule M1M on your state return,” the Minnesota Department of Revenue noted on its website about the rebate.
In August, a report highlighted a significant shift in a crucial voting bloc that played a pivotal role in Biden’s 2020 victory, sending a message that may be unwelcome to him and the Democratic Party.
An analysis conducted by Harvard University during that period revealed a noticeable trend among the 18-29-year-old demographic, indicating a movement away from liberalism and a shift toward conservatism. This development poses a challenge for the current administration.
John Della Volpe, the polling director at the Harvard Kennedy Institute of Politics, shared findings from his study indicating a departure of younger Americans from the Democratic Party. Concurrently, a separate study pointed out that high school senior boys are increasingly leaning towards conservatism.
“Nearly every sign that made me confident in historic levels of youth participation in 2018, 2020, and 2022 — is now flashing red,” Della Volpe wrote in his analysis of 2024, according to The Hill. He added: “The ground is more fertile for voting when youth believe voting makes a tangible difference.”
In 2019, approximately 39 percent of respondents in the Harvard Youth Poll expressed their affiliation with the Democratic Party. However, by the following spring, this figure had declined to 35 percent. Concurrently, the proportion of young voters identifying as independents or having no affiliation with a major party increased from 36 percent in 2019 to 40 percent in the subsequent year. Additionally, the percentage of youth voters aligning with the Republican Party experienced a slight increase, rising from 23 percent to 24 percent, as reported by The Hill.