Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on his party understanding the border: ‘Not even close’

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said that Democrats “absolutely” do not understand problems on the border and added that Republicans just want to talk about the issue without doing “anything about it.”

In a new interview with The Washington Post, Kelly, who was first elected to his Senate seat in 2020, said he quickly understood the dynamic between the two political parties when he entered Capitol Hill.

“Not even close,” the senator said when asked if Democrats have recognized people’s frustrations with border security. “When I first got to Washington, it didn’t take me long to realize that there are a lot of Democrats who don’t understand our southern border and a lot of Republicans who just want to talk about it. Don’t necessarily want to do anything about it, just want to use it politically.”

“So my approach has been — to the extent that we could and can — to make progress on securing it, but also doing it in a way that’s in accordance with our ethics and our values, not to demonize people,” he added.

Kelly, a former astronaut, secured his first six-year term in office in the midterm elections after defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters in a close race.

Securing the border has long been a major point of emphasis for Republicans, and the party has consistently accused Democrats of not doing enough to solve the issue.

Former President Trump partially constructed a wall at the southern border after making it a key point of his campaign. President Biden put a halt to most of that construction.

Republican governors this year have also sent migrants to Democratic-led cities to send a message about the lack of control at the border.

Illegal border crossings have surged under the Biden administration, with more than 2.76 million encountered at the border last fiscal year, setting a record.

Kelly said he is an advocate for securing the border while also fulfilling immigration reform backed by Democrats, such as protecting “Dreamers,” or migrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

“Our country would really benefit from stronger border security and comprehensive immigration reform,” Kelly told the Post. “We still have a situation where a lot of Democrats don’t really understand it and a lot of Republicans just want to talk about it and use it for political purposes.”

“But I’ll tell you what, I think there are enough of us who understand it and want to accomplish something,” he added.