'We need solutions': VP Kamala Harris addresses border crisis and immigration challenges on 'The View'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The January 17 episode of 'The View' had Vice President Kamala Harris join the co-hosts to share the federal administration's message to voters, as well as its goals for the 2024 presidential election.

"We've got to earn reelection and we have to communicate what we have achieved," she stated, after admitting that she was "scared as heck" at the prospect of former President Donald Trump being reelected.

While addressing various issues, from abortion rights to the state of the economy, Harris, 59, also shared her views on the topic of illegal immigration and border security.

The topic was raised by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who asked, "So 2023 was the biggest year for illegal border crossings, with resources stretched, fentanyl pouring into the country, cities pushed to the brink. Do you think this is a crisis, and what is being done to address the root causes of our immigration problem?"

Kamala Harris admits to the US facing a border crisis

"I think the segue couldn't be more appropriate," began the Vice President in response to Griffin. "Because listen, first of all, everyone knows that our immigration system is broken."

"The first bill that we (Biden administration) offered right after inauguration was to fix the immigration system. A comprehensive plan to deal with the immigration system. Do you think they (Republicans) have taken it up? No," she continued.

"We want solutions. The solutions are at hand, but frankly, we are in an election year, and the folks who want to return Donald Trump to the White House would prefer to talk about a broken immigration system instead of focusing on the solution that are at hand and engaging in bipartisan work."

Kamala Harris on border crisis

Harris spoke of Republicans such as "George Bush, John McCain, even Linsey Graham, who agreed that let's fix this (the immigration issue), let's work together on the solutions to fix this."

Griffin took her up on her point and questioned, "What are you doing to work with the Republicans to try to solve this issue once and for all?"

"We offered a bill," replied Harris, "We have offered, in the Senate, that there would be bipartisan work to fix it. It literally is the first bill we passed."

"I think it's critically important that we understand that there are petty politics at play on this issue, as much as anything," she complained.

"We need solutions. Solutions are at hand. We need to work on them together. We have offered, for example, that in our security package coming up, $14 billion that we would like them (the Senate) to approve to address this issue, and Senate Republicans support it," she added, before concluding, "Let's all participate in solutions if we want to call ourselves leaders."