Latest news with #BidenAdministration
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tallying Up Biden's Immigration Damage
Most mainstream press accounts have largely ignored one obvious source of the Los Angeles riots - namely, that the Biden administration released more than enough illegal aliens into this country to populate a wholly new Los Angeles. In the aftermath of those riots, its an appropriate time to ask this question: How many illegal aliens did the Biden administration actually let into the United States? According to the Congressional Budget Office, during the four years from 2021 through 2024, a net 10.3 million people immigrated to the U.S. That figure reflects the number of (legal or illegal) immigrants who entered the U.S., minus the number who left. As a result of this huge immigration influx, the portion of the U.S. population that is foreign-born hit16.2%, per the CBO, surpassing the all-time record of 14.8% set in 1890. That mark lasted for more than 130 years, but it couldnt survive the Biden administration. In fact, the percentage of the population that is foreign-born is probably even higher than 16.2%, as that figure was for 2023 (up from 15.6% in 2022). Since a net 2.7 million people immigrated to the U.S. in 2024, according to the CBO, and about 500,000 foreign-born residents die annually (based on the CBOs estimate for 2023), the foreign-born population rose by an estimated 2.2 million in 2024 - from 55.1 million to about 57.3 million. So, the percentage of the population that is foreign-born likely hit about 16.8% last year (57.3 million out of 342 million). In comparison, in 1970, the portion of the U.S. population that was foreign-born was 4.7% - just over a quarter as high. Put otherwise, on the cusp of next years Quarter-Millennial anniversary of American independence, about one out of every six people now living in the U.S. is foreign-born, versus one out of every 21 on the eve of the Bicentennial. Thats a massive population transformation - one unlike anything our country has ever previously experienced. Most of those who were added to the foreign-born population during the Biden years were added illegally. From 2021 through 2024 - a period that coincides almost perfectly with Bidens presidential term (having 97% overlap) - the net increase in the number of illegal aliens in the U.S., based on CBO estimates, was 7.1 million people. In comparison, the entire population of Los Angeles is 3.9 million. Note that this represents the net increase. The gross increase in the number of illegal aliens under Biden was likely close to 10 million. The CBO only estimates the gross increase for a portion of Bidens term, but its partial tallies can yield a reasonable estimate for the whole four-year span. Citing numbers that it obtained from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the CBO estimates that in 2023 and 2024, the gross increase in the number of illegal aliens in the U.S. was 5.9 million, while the net increase was 4.3 million. Thats about four new illegal aliens added (by being released into the country, evading capture, or overstaying a legal authorization) for every one that was subtracted (by leaving or being legalized), so the ratio between the gross increase and the net increase was about four to three. Assuming that same ratio in 2021 and 2022, when the CBO estimates that the net increase in the number of illegal aliens was 2.9 million, suggests that the gross increase over that span was about 3.9 million. Adding the 5.9 million cited above reveals a gross increase of about 9.8 million illegal aliens across Bidens four years. Thats more than the population of New York City - or all of New Jersey. The CBO switched from using fiscal-year (FY) figures for 2023 to using calendar-year (CY) figures for 2024 in estimating the gross increase in the number of illegal aliens (and the releases, evasions, and overstays that compose that gross increase). But the number of encounters along the southwest border was very similar in FY2023 as in CY2023 (being 3% higher in CY2023), so this switch likely had little effect on the CBO estimates. Indeed, for the net increase in the number of illegal aliens, the CBO provides both FY2023 and CY2023 numbers, and they differ by just 0.1 million. The vast majority of these roughly 10 million illegal aliens didnt overstay their visas, per the CBO. Rather, they either evaded capture and escaped across the border or else were released by the Biden administration into the countrys interior. By far the biggest cohort was deliberately released. As U.S. District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell wrote during a Biden-era case, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Chief Raul Ortiz "testified that the current surge differs from prior surges that he [has] seen over his lengthy career in that most of the aliens now being encountered at the Southwest Border are turning themselves in to USBP officers rather than trying to escape the officers." Ortiz, whom the Biden administration selected as USBP chief, said at the time that aliens are likely "turning themselves in because they think theyre going to be released." They were generally right. The CBO estimates that in 2024, Bidens DHS released about 1,530,000 aliens into the U.S. - 570,000 were encountered along the open border and released, and another 960,000 were encountered at ports of entry along the border and released - while another estimated 800,000 escaped across the border. In FY2023, Bidens DHS released about 2 million aliens into the U.S. - 1.1 million of whom crossed the open border and were released, 900,000 of whom were released at ports of entry - while another estimated 860,000 escaped across the border. Thats a total of 5.2 million evasions or releases over two years (specifically, over FY2023 and CY2024, the periods for which the CBO provides figures). During the same 24 months, 715,000 people overstayed their legal authorizations to be in the country, per CBO estimates. In other words, about seven-eighths (5.2 million out of 5.9 million) of those who joined the ranks of illegal aliens over those two years either evaded capture or were released into the U.S., rather than overstaying their visas. Applying that same seven-eighths percentage to 2021 and 2022, when the gross increase in the number of illegal aliens was about 3.9 million, suggests that about 3.4 million illegal aliens evaded capture or were released over those two years. That brings the estimated 4-year tally to about 8.6 million releases or evasions under Biden (5.2 million plus 3.4 million) - a number larger than the populations of 38 individual states. Summing all of this up, about 10 million illegal aliens were added to the U.S. population during the Biden administration. Of these, about 8.6 million came across the southern border - usually being released but sometimes evading capture - rather than overstaying their visas. After accounting for illegal aliens who either left the country or became legalized, the result was a net increase of 7.1 million illegal aliens during the Biden years, per the CBO. That net increase of 7.1 million illegal aliens equals about two-thirds of the overall net increase of 10.3 million (legal or illegal) immigrants during the Biden administration. After four years of Biden, the foreign-born population now makes up a higher percentage of the overall U.S. population than at any time on record, including during the great waves of immigration in the 19th century. But its not just how many but who came into the country that matters. During the three full fiscal years (FY2018-20) immediately preceding the Biden administration, there were a total of 9 encounters along the open border between USBP officials and non-citizens on the terrorist watch list. During the three full fiscal years (FY2022-24) that took place entirely during Bidens term, there were 370 such encounters - a 41-fold increase. Across all four years of the Biden presidency, the number of such encounters was approximately 400. One can only wonder how many potential terrorists got across Bidens porous border without being encountered. On his first day in office, President Biden issued an executive order prioritizing "equity." His DHS soon quoted that order, made clear it would apply it "[i]n the immigration and enforcement context," and thereafter refused to enforce federal immigration law requiring the detention of asylum-seekers. Such "equity"-driven actions were, in the words of Judge Wetherell, "akin to posting a flashing 'Come In, Were Open sign on the southern border." As a result of that neon invitation, 7.1 million more illegal aliens entered the U.S. or overstayed their visas than left the U.S. or became legalized while Biden was in office - more than the combined populations of Los Angeles, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Miami. This was a deliberate result of Bidens "equity" agenda, and Americans are paying the price. Jeffrey H. Anderson is president of the American Main Street Initiative. He served as director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics from 2017 to 2021.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Health
- New York Times
Why a G.O.P. Medicaid Requirement Could Set States Up for Failure
The strict Medicaid work requirement at the center of the Republicans' major policy bill wouldn't just require millions of poor Americans to prove they are employed to sign up for health insurance. It would also require dozens of states to quickly build expensive and complex software systems to measure and track who is eligible. This new responsibility for states, whose existing Medicaid computer systems are often outdated, would be accompanied by reduced federal funding through other changes in the bill. The result, according to state officials, software developers and policy experts, could be major failures in state systems for enrolling people in Medicaid. 'That's how happens,' said Julie Brinn Siegel, a former top Biden administration budget official, referring to the Obama administration's botched launch of the online Affordable Care Act enrollment portal in 2013. Ms. Siegel and others familiar with Medicaid systems envision problems like websites that don't load or incorrectly tell applicants they are not eligible. And Medicaid workers may be overwhelmed as they try to run call centers and process applications. The fallout could mean eligible Americans will have their coverage dropped. Republicans contend that the work requirement achieves twin goals: It ensures that the government directs resources to Americans who are contributing to society, while saving money to help finance an extension of President Trump's tax cuts. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Bloomberg
12 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Senate Unveils New Trump Tax Draft With Plans to Vote Soon
Senate Republicans unveiled a new version of their $4.2 trillion tax and spending package, moving closer to a vote as they near a July 4 deadline set by President Donald Trump. The new draft reflects compromises among warring factions of the Senate GOP which has been divided over how much to cut safety-net programs such as Medicaid and how rapidly to phase out of renewable energy tax credits enacted under the Biden administration.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump shares shocking strategy to take pressure off dollar
Trump shares shocking strategy to take pressure off dollar originally appeared on TheStreet. President Donald Trump thinks adopting Bitcoin as a payment option can take pressure off the U.S. dollar. He said: "I noticed more and more you pay in Bitcoin... I mean, people are saying it takes a lot of pressure off the dollar, and it's a great thing for our country.' Trump made the remarks while responding to a reporter's question regarding his personal crypto ventures at a press conference in the White House on June 27. A reporter asked the president about many Democrats having talked about not supporting crypto-related bills in Congress only because of his and his family's personal crypto ventures and therefore, him being open to pulling out of these personal crypto ventures just for the next few years so that these bills can pass in the next few months. Trump's response was, "Well, it's a very funny thing — crypto." He said he became a fan of crypto, and he considers it an "industry." If the U.S. didn't have the crypto industry, China would lap it up, Trump reasoned. "We have created a very powerful industry, and that's much more important than anything that we invest in." Trump continued that the crypto industry wasn't in very good shape earlier, and he got involved with it before he decided to run for president for the second time. The Biden administration was "crooked and incompetent" regarding crypto, but the industry has now become "amazing," he added. The president finally addressed the involvement of the Trump family with crypto ventures. "I don't care about investing," he said but added that his kids invest in different assets they believe in. Meme coins, the USD1 stablecoin, Bitcoin mining, and crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) — there is hardly any crypto segment that the family isn't involved with. Trump reiterated that as the U.S. president, he built the crypto industry, which is very important because if the U.S. didn't, China would. Since assuming the presidential office for the second term in January, Trump has indeed pursued an aggressive pro-crypto policy. Not only did he sign an executive order to establish the strategic Bitcoin reserve, but his administration is also trying to pass crypto bills related to stablecoins and market structure. However, Democrats such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have raised questions over alleged conflicts of interest arising from the Trump family's involvement with multiple crypto ventures. Trump shares shocking strategy to take pressure off dollar first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Car and Driver
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
USPS EV Trucks Are Still Funny-Looking, Now Harder to Kill Off
A new ruling by the U.S. Senate parliamentarian requires a supermajority to scrap existing U.S. Postal Service EV plans. There are 7200 EVs in the USPS fleet, with new replacements for the old fleet coming in at a split of 50/50 for EV and combustion power. The Oshkosh Next Gen delivery van has polarizing styling, but the mail carriers love it. The battle over the U.S. Postal Service's electrification plans had a new front drawn recently, with U.S. Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough declaring that a supermajority vote would be required to scrap existing EVs and charging infrastructure. Currently, the USPS has purchased 7200 EVs and spent $500 million on charging infrastructure, and the tax and spending bill before Congress had been looking to overturn the electrification mandate set under the Biden administration. That mandate laid out provisions for a minimum of 45,000 electric delivery vans, with an additional 10,000 Ford E-Transit vans ordered on top of that figure. The USPS fleet of 160,000 delivery vehicles has been being replaced with a near 50/50 split between EVs and combustion-powered machines, and by next year the replacements would be all EVs. The original Grumman LLV delivery vans used by the USPS were an improvement over the buckboard Jeep DJs they replaced, but that replacement dates back to the 1970s. The Oshkosh Next Generation Delivery Vehicles might look like background traffic in a Pixar film, but they are a huge improvement for comfort and safety, and already beloved by mail carriers. Caleb Miller | Car and Driver Politics aside, electrification of mail delivery is one of the more easily planned fleet rollouts. A fire truck, ambulance, or other emergency service vehicle may service a particular area, but it doesn't have a set route. A mail carrier van runs the same path several times a week, so fleet managers can plot out service, charging times, and so on. Further, with all that stopping and starting, battery regeneration saves wear on brakes. Canada Post Canada Post's Morgan Olson C250e electric delivery truck. North of the border, Canada Post has been replacing and supplementing its fleet of hybrid Ford Transit vans with the Morgan Olson C250 (above). Available as the all-electric C250e, with a battery-powered driveline sourced from Rivian, this conventional step van isn't as radical-looking as the USPS Next Gen machine, but it serves the same purpose and is based on the same pragmatic reasoning. With a supermajority requirement in place, the USPS fleet replacement rules will likely generate further legislation around timelines, with more debate to be had. The USPS points out that simply canceling contracts, mothballing existing vehicles, and ripping up infrastructure would create considerable waste, some $1.5 billion lost. Scott Olson via Getty Grumman LLV trucks are outdated. Meanwhile, the era of the Grumman LLV simply can't persist. Especially in these hot summer months, the vans are too hot, too hard on mail carriers, and are built to 1970s safety standards. Whether pure battery EV, hybrid, or small-displacement combustion power, neither rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor political wrangling will stay the USPS fleet from its much needed modernization. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
