South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has requested her state's legislature host a joint session to allow her to brief lawmakers about the "war zone" at the southern border.
Noem made the request in a Monday letter to Hugh Bartels, speaker of the South Dakota House, and Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck.
The governor asked that the joint session be held Wednesday afternoon.
"Thank you for your consideration," Noem wrote. "I look forward to working with you to keep South Dakotans, Texans, and all Americans safe."
Noem's letter came after she said she would be willing to send the South Dakota National Guard to help police the southern border, where she visited Friday.
The governor conducted a boat tour with the Texas Department of Public Safety, met with the Texas National Guard and state troopers, and received a briefing from Border Patrol agents.
"Every time that I come to the southern border, it is clear that the situation has deteriorated more and more," Noem wrote in a press release. "Texas has carved out a small zone of security in the middle of this war zone.
"Now, the Biden administration is undermining them. Not only is [President] Joe Biden failing to secure the border — he is actively trying to stop Gov. [Greg] Abbott and Texas from the work that they are doing to secure the border. South Dakota stands with them, and we will continue to do everything we can to help secure the border."
Noem appeared Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" and said Biden has "all the authority to take action today" on the border without members of the Senate and the White House needing to reach a compromise bill on border security legislation.
"The senators are really good at spinning a story to make themselves look good," Noem told CNN. "What I would say is that I always look for someone who's willing to take action."
Noem is has joined other Republican governors in signing a letter backing Abbott in his bitter fight against the federal government over border control.
"We stand in solidarity with our fellow Gov. Greg Abbott and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy, including razor-wire fences, to secure the border," the letter, signed by 25 Republican governors, read, according to USA Today.
"Because the Biden administration has abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states, Texas has every legal justification to protect the sovereignty of our states and our nation."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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