Democrat Senator Joe Manchin has urged President Joe Biden to use his executive authority to address the security issues at the U.S. southern border in preparation for the 2024 elections.

Manchin cautioned that the border situation represented the most significant crisis currently confronting the nation, the Daily Wire reports.

He made the comments during a CBS News interview with Margaret Brennan on the program "Face the Nation," in response to a question about the mistakes the Biden administration is making.

“I think the border,” Manchin said. “The border has to be fixed. … We were told before Christmas, we’re going to stay here and get this done. Then, all of a sudden, OK, you can go home now, because we’re getting some language done now, but we’re writing, putting pen to it. We’re going to come back, and, as soon as we come back – that was last week – we’ll have something.”

“Now, this is the second week,” he continued. “This is the greatest crisis we’re facing right now is the border, and it’s dangerous. And if Congress cannot do its job, because the perfect is the enemy of the good, it’s just not perfect enough for the Democrats or Republicans, or it’s gone too far or not far enough, the president has to step forward and declare an emergency. I don’t believe there should be any more paroles at the border until we can get a handle on what’s going on. And it is – it’s just extremely bad right now.”

Manchin stated that the gravity of the situation was such that if Congress failed to enact legislation this week, President Biden should declare a national emergency at the border and take necessary measures to close and “do what needs to be done to shut that border down and secure it until we can get a handle.”

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