Policy Solutions to the Border Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I recently joined Speaker Johnson and more than 60 colleagues to visit the southern border at Eagle Pass, Texas, one of the busiest Border Patrol entry points. What I witnessed was nothing short of an invasion, an invasion facilitated by the purposeful policies of the Biden administration.

It was my second trip to the border since the spring of 2021, and regrettably, the situation has only gotten worse.

Two years ago, I encountered a heart-wrenching tragedy of an unaccompanied autistic 7-year-old child, a little girl who was trafficked by the Mexican cartel. My guess is the Biden administration is clueless as to the status of this vulnerable young lady. My guess also is that she is now 1 of the over 100,000 unaccompanied children who have been trafficked through the Biden administration's open border and now lost. The 100,000 innocent children lost to our system highlight the heartless administration that does not care about the innocents.

The crisis doesn't end here. Over 100,000 Americans, primarily aged between 19 and 48, have fallen victim to fentanyl, a deadly weapon shipped from China to Mexico, processed, and then smuggled across our borders. More Americans have lost their lives in a single year than the two 20-year wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan combined.

As these Americans are being poisoned across our country--by the way, this is across party lines. It doesn't matter what our race, creed, or color might be. Take one, and we have lost another child.

As we are losing Americans, over 100,000, at this one port of entry, Eagle Pass, they are making over $34 million per week through this trafficking of fentanyl.

President Biden did not inherit this crisis at our southern border. He purposely created it by rolling back the successful Trump policies and then refusing to enforce U.S. immigration laws. In his first 100 days, he took 94 executive actions on immigration, resulting in 1.8 million illegal crossings since January 2021.

That is why I joined my House Republican colleagues to pass the Secure the Border Act of 2023 7 months ago, which offers commonsense solutions to the Biden border crisis. This legislation demands the completion of the border wall, an end to catch and release, an increase in Border Patrol agents, a halt to the flow of deadly fentanyl, and protection of our innocent children from human traffickers. It places the safety of the American people first, a sentiment shared by citizens throughout our country who are tired of Washington's inaction. However, the Senate Democrats refuse to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to immediately pass H.R. 2, send it to the President's desk, and stand up for the safety, security, and sacred laws of our great Nation.

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