'This is Biden's America': Babin blames crime increase on Biden administration

U.S. Rep Brian Babin (R-Woodville) said that a recent surge in crime in the United States is because of a lack of support for law enforcement from the Democrats and President Joe Biden's administration. 

"Democrats abandoned our law enforcement and innocent people all across the country are suffering because of it," Babin said in a July 8 Twitter post. "This is Biden’s America."

There was an estimated 25% increase of homicides in 2020 with some larger cities seeing that number remain high in the early months of 2021, the Guardian reported in June. These numbers translate to an additional 4,000 to 5,000 homicides throughout the country in 2020 when compared to the previous year. 

While official numbers for this summer will not be available for a few more months, there have been several shootings reported across the country. Close to 150 people were killed in shootings throughout the United States over the Fourth of July weekend, the New York Post reported.

Houston is experiencing its worst crime spike in years, ABC13 reported July 2.

The news report by ABC13 said that total crime is up more than 30% compared to the pre-pandemic levels. Police in Houston linked the spike in crime to a decrease in the number of local officers.  

In response to recent shootings, Biden and his administration announced a new strategy and effort to address it. 

This strategy implements preventative measures including addressing the flow of firearms used to commit crimes, The White House said in a release.

The plan includes investing in evidence-based community violence interventions, helping formerly incarcerated people reenter their communities successfully and supporting local law enforcement with federal tools and resources, according to The White House.