Managing the Crisis on the Southern Border

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the Republican party has historically been, and I believe is still today, the voice for those who have no voice. We value life and believe all people should be treated with dignity.

I appreciate the gentleman from Texas for leading this discussion tonight, for his compassion for people, and for his passion to serve Texas and America.

Mr. Speaker, tonight, I not only rise to address the growing crisis on our southern border, but to be a voice for the persecuted. In an interview aired this morning, President Biden told migrants not to come to the United States, but still refused to recognize the situation as a crisis. Actions speak louder than words. It doesn't matter what you say when it doesn't match what you do.

Such a directive is pointless, considering there are no policy changes to de-motivate the migrant surge, the likes of which the United States hasn't seen in 20 years. Our facilities and agencies are being overwhelmed by the surge.

President Biden offered an open invitation for parents to send their children across the border without fear of being turned away. The result is catastrophic. While there have been migrant surges in the past, there has never been such a prolific number of unaccompanied minors.

These policies are a driving incentive for parents to give their children to coyotes and traffickers who will abuse and use them, causing lifelong trauma. Over 500 children are crossing the border daily, including unaccompanied kids as young as 6 years old. These children are threatened and coerced by cartels to carry drugs over the border and exploited by sex traffickers.

One in three women--one in three women, Mr. Speaker, will be assaulted as they attempt to make the journey.

I just witnessed my colleagues from across the aisle spending an hour honoring women's history. What kind of history are the left's policies writing for these women? Young women, young women as young as 13 years old are being lured to Texas with the promise of a job in the service industry, and instead, are being sexually abused and trafficked.

What we are seeing now is but a fraction of what we could see in the coming months. This is the Biden administration's responsibility, and President Biden owes the American people answers.

But President Biden is not alone. The majority party is neglecting their oversight responsibilities and aiding and abetting these dangerous actions.

I am calling on President Biden and congressional Democrats--who I remind you are the majority in both Chambers--to take responsibility for the border crisis and work to fix it and to take responsibility for the trauma these children will endure on the journey across the border.

Customs and Border Protection has informed Congress that four people on the FBI's terrorist watch list were apprehended at the border. If four were caught, how many got through? What is their intent?

One day, Democrats are the arsonists, and the next week, the firefighters. They have pulled this trick on every issue, including energy, Medicare, and now our border. To bring partisan immigration bills to the floor without even an opportunity to amend the bills is bad governance anytime, but it is downright insensitive during this crisis.

We are a nation of immigrants, and I support all legal immigration. But open border policies are a direct threat to our national security and have created a humanitarian crisis. We should secure our borders and work on bipartisan legislation to address immigration issues, but Democrats refuse to even enforce existing laws.

Mr. Speaker, what good is a new immigration law when there is no evidence that it will be enforced?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source