On Monday, October 7, 2024, CBS News’ Bill Whitaker interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes.” The conversation focused on the Biden administration’s changing approach to border policies. Whitaker scrutinized the initial lenient stance on immigration, followed by a switch to more stringent measures.
Whitaker pointed to the recent enforcement measures on asylum seekers, which have resulted in a marked decrease in border crossings. Questioning the timing of these strict measures, he asked, “If that’s the right answer now, why didn’t your administration take those steps in 2021?”
Harris responded by outlining the administration’s initial attempt to address immigration through legislative reform. She highlighted their early bill proposal to Congress, which aimed to overhaul the flawed immigration system. However, she noted that the bill did not receive consideration from the legislative body.
Whitaker further probed Harris on the historical increase in undocumented immigrants crossing the border during the Biden administration’s first three years. While acknowledging that the issue predated their tenure, he drew attention to the unprecedented surge during their term.
Addressing Whitaker’s criticism of the handling of the border crisis, Harris referred to her backing of a bipartisan border security bill proposed in the Senate. She stated that its progress was halted by former President Donald Trump. Harris said, “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 issue.
When questioned about the historically high number of border crossings and potential early interventions, Harris tactfully avoided a direct answer. Instead, she emphasized the recent measures contributing to significant reductions in crossings and insisted on the necessity for Congressional action.
On the topic of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Harris said that if Trump were in power, “Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” referring to the Ukrainian capital.
