Rep. Val Demings, a Florida Democrat who is running to unseat Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, tweeted in favor of securing the U.S. border “and other points of entry” last week, which the Rubio campaign slammed as an “election-cycle charade” that contradicts her own record.
Demings tweeted Wednesday that immigration reform is needed in order to stem the tide of overdose deaths in the country, which have hit record levels.
“What’s happening right now is a preventable tragedy. Taking it on requires a multistep approach,” she argued. “1) Hold pharma companies accountable 2) Secure the border and other points of entry 3) Make addiction and mental health treatment accessible to all.”
Despite her call to secure the border, Demings has a history of voting against policies that some could argue would do just that. In 2019, she called President Trump’s southern border wall “an absurd waste of money and a violation of our values as a nation of immigrants,” and she voted “yes” to terminate his declaration of an emergency at the border, which freed up billions in funding for the wall.
Demings also voted against a bill that would make it easier to deport illegal immigrants who are suspected of gang activity and another that would restrict taxpayer grant money to sanctuary cities.
