by Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07)
From his first day in the Oval Office, President Biden’s policies have acted like a welcome sign at the Southwest border. His desire has been to get as many illegal aliens into the country as quickly as possible. And Secretary Mayorkas has implemented a border strategy that is actualizing that desire.
Upon assuming responsibility for our homeland security, the Biden administration immediately halted wall construction, paid to terminate existing contracts, and left over 200 miles of border wall unbuilt. The remaining construction materials were left to rust in piles along the border. Now that Title 42 has ended, things are getting worse, despite what the mainstream media claims. This administration’s policies prevent Border Patrol agents from carrying out their duties effectively. And now that the House has passed H.R. 2, our Secure the Border Act, President Biden has stated he will veto it. This is like saying to Tennesseans and all Americans suffering from his disastrous policies, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
It’s no secret our Southwest border is in a state of crisis. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 5 million encounters at our Southwest border and nearly 1.5 million known gotaways. As U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told us in March at a field hearing in Pharr, Texas, five of the nine Southwest border sectors are “unsecure.” An unprecedented amount of illicit drugs, namely fentanyl, are flowing into the United States, all supplied by the cartels. The crisis is so dire that fentanyl poisoning has become the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Chief Ortiz also told our Committee, contradicting Secre
Even in the days leadings up to Title 42’s expiration, Border Patrol was encountering 10,000 border crossings a day. Last fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded an unprecedented 2.21 million illegal crossings nationwide. The numbers will likely just get more jarring, as will the conditions on the ground. President Biden’s actions have signaled to the cartels, smugglers, and the world that our borders are wide open and there are no consequences for breaking the laws of our nation.
That’s why House Republicans introduced and passed our Secure the Border Act, a significant portion of which was written and passed through the House Homeland Security Committee after months of trips to the border to see this crisis firsthand. This legislation provides real border security solutions crafted with the insight of those who pay the price of this crisis daily.
This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to use previously appropriated funds to resume construction of the border wall until operational control is achieved. Under President Biden, some Border Patrol agents have been pulled away from their law enforcement duties and used to process illegal aliens into the interior of our country. These agents must be allowed back on the frontlines where the crisis is, not forced to act as travel agents behind desks. Chief Ortiz told our Committee that he needs an additional 3,000 Border Patrol agents to regain operational control of the border. And that’s what we are going to give him.
Furthermore, this bill mandates that CBP invest in advanced technologies that will help keep our border secure and our agents safe as they serve as our last line of defense.
This border crisis is entering a new and dangerous phase. The end of Title 42 is exacerbating everything from illegal immigration to human trafficking. Securing the border and restoring law and order is the only way to end this crisis. That’s why House Republicans passed our Secure the Border Act. In passing this bill our message to President Biden is: It’s time to give a damn.
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Rep. Mark Green, a Republican, is a physician and combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, where he served three tours. He interviewed Saddam Hussein for six hours on the night of his capture. He is chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Photo “Rep. Mark Green” by Rep. Mark Green.
