Sens. Cruz, Lee, Lummis Introduce PAUSE Act Tying Covid Border Restrictions to Punitive Restrictions on Americans

Press Release

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) have introduced the PAUSE Act, which would block the Biden administration from lifting Title 42 health-related restrictions on foreigners seeking to enter the United States.

Under the PAUSE Act, Title 42 restrictions would remain in place until all federal public health emergencies for COVID-19 end, and until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traveler health risk level for Canada and Mexico are reduced to the lowest level.

Sen. Cruz said about the bill:

Title 42 protects our public health, and it also is the only tool currently being used to secure our border. If Title 42 is rescinded, it will make the crisis on the border catastrophically worse. Bottom line: As long as the Biden Administration maintains COVID-19 to be an emergency, we need Title 42. If President Biden believes that COVID-19 is still such a threat that fully-vaccinated Americans must wear masks on public transportation, and the Department of Justice is trying to reinstate a mask mandate, then we must continue to block illegal entry into the United States on these same grounds. Texans do not want another COVID-19 outbreak and they do not want the even worse humanitarian crisis that will occur if President Biden revokes Title 42. As long as this administration believes COVID-19 justifies restrictions on the people of Texas, we should be enforcing health-related restrictions along the border as well.

Sen. Lee said about the bill:

Throughout his time in office, President Biden has been dedicated to restricting the freedoms of Americans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The one group that seems to be exempted from restrictions consists of illegal immigrants. This administration has not been testing illegal immigrants for COVID, even though all Americans traveling overseas must be tested before they are allowed back into their own country. Nor are illegal immigrants subject to any kind of COVID-19 vaccine requirement. It is nothing short of astounding that the administration is now removing the one tool holding back an unprecedented surge of illegal immigrants. Biden's open border policies are dangerous for the health, wellbeing, and safety of the American people. The PAUSE Act will ensure the last line of defense on our Southern Border is not abandoned by an administration that has no interest in upholding our immigration laws.

Sen. Lummis said about the bill:

Democrats cannot, in one breath, argue a national public health emergency should remain in place, while simultaneously trying to roll back Title 42 border protections. It makes no sense. The people of Wyoming see the hypocrisy. I applaud Senator Cruz for introducing the PAUSE Act and bringing some common sense to this discussion.

Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) had previously introduced the PAUSE Act (H.R. 471), which has significant support with 94 cosponsors, in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is also the lead on the House companion to Sen. Cruz's SHIELD Act, which would codify Title 42.

Rep. Herrell said about the bill:

Until all mandates, rules, and emergency declarations related to COVID-19 have ended, Title 42 border health protections must remain in place to prevent the introduction of new cases and new strains of the virus at our borders. It is fundamentally unfair to hold Americans to a higher standard than the thousands of illegal immigrants that Joe Biden is allowing to waltz into our communities. The PAUSE Act will preserve Title 42 and help prevent the further destruction of America's borders by this administration.

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