Vice President Kamala Harris was recently interviewed on “60 Minutes” by CBS News’ Bill Whitaker and aired on Monday, October 7, 2024. During the interview, Harris was questioned about the Biden administration’s fluctuating approach toward immigration policies.
Whitaker probed Harris on the administration’s initial adoption of lenient immigration measures which were later replaced by stricter policies. He noted the recent harsh measures against asylum seekers had led to a significant drop in border crossings. Whitaker then asked Harris why the administration had delayed implementing these stricter measures, questioning, “If that’s the right answer now, why didn’t your administration take those steps in 2021?”
Harris responded by stating that the administration’s initial strategy was to tackle immigration issues through legislative reforms. She highlighted their initial proposal to Congress, which aimed at mending the broken immigration system, with the understanding that real solutions would require congressional action. However, the proposal was not considered by Congress.
Whitaker further confronted Harris by pointing to the historic increase in undocumented immigrants crossing the border during the first three years of the Biden administration. He conceded that the issue was not new to their tenure, but emphasized the unprecedented spike in crossings during their term.
In response to Whitaker’s critique of her role in the border crisis, Harris referenced her support for a bipartisan border security bill proposed by Senate members. However, she claimed this was obstructed by former President Donald Trump.
Harris stated, “Donald Trump got word that this bill was afoot and could be passed, and he wants to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. So he told his buddies in Congress, ‘Kill the bill, don’t let it move forward.’”
“It’s a long-standing problem, and solutions are at hand, and from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions,” Harris said in response to the ongoing immigration issues.
When Whitaker further questioned her about the record-breaking border crossings and the potential for earlier intervention, Harris deflected the question, instead emphasizing recent measures that have resulted in a significant reduction in crossings and urging Congress to take action.
On the topic of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Harris made a pointed comment about her opponent, stating that if Trump were president, “Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” referring to the Ukrainian capital.