White House Distances Itself From Kamala Harris Book in Migrant Welcome Packs
The White House is denying any involvement in the creation of care packages that some migrant children were given that included a book that Vice President Kamala Harris wrote, but that's not stopping some Republicans from hammering the Biden administration over the issue.
Photos of the children's book, Superheroes Are Everywhere, in packets handed out at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in California have spread online, but a White House official told Newsweek that it's part of a city donation effort to collect books and toys. The effort is organized by the community, working with companies. Harris wasn't aware of the efforts or that her book would be included, the official said.
The city of Long Beach didn't immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment. The Long Beach center has been designated as an influx facility as the Biden administration struggles to handle a surge of unaccompanied minors crossing the border.
Republican U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina both have taken aim at the inclusion of Harris' book in the donation-driven welcome packs, alongside basic hygiene items.
"Why is the Biden regime using taxpayer dollars to provide illegal immigrants entering the U.S. with a copy of Kamala's children's book?" Boebert wrote on Twitter.
Several Republicans have noted that Harris, who President Joe Biden has designated as a point person on handling the border crisis, hasn't traveled to the border, while scores of members of Congress have traveled to see the conditions firsthand.
"Kamala is now saying 'we're making progress' on Biden's border crisis," Cawthorn tweeted. "She must be referring to her progress on book sales.…"
Harris, then a U.S. senator, published the book in 2019. It's a New York Times bestseller that's described as being an "empowering and joyful picture book that speaks directly to kids."
In announcing the influx center's opening the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted that "children will be welcomed by staff, receive a medical check, and be provided needed clothing, toiletries, food and snacks, as well as a safe place to rest."
HHS didn't immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
"Providing unaccompanied children a safe, healthy place is both our legal and moral obligation," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement as the center was opened thanking community leaders for working with the federal government. "While the work has only begun, we're on the right path with reliable partners to get this done right."
