Protecting Our Communities From Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 5283.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, today I rise in support of H.R. 5283, legislation sponsored by my colleague from New York City, Congresswoman Malliotakis.

This legislation would protect our national parks, prevent wasteful spending, and hold the Biden administration accountable for its failed border policies.

The Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023 would prohibit the use of any Federal funding, leases, or contracts to construct housing facilities for illegal immigrants on our Nation's Federal lands.

It would also put an end to the legally questionable lease that the Biden administration signed with New York City to house thousands of migrants at Floyd Bennett Field, which is owned and managed by the National Park Service.

Madam Chair, our national parks have been described as America's best idea. They are places we go to experience the outdoors and spend time with our friends, family, and community.

That was true of Floyd Bennett Field, which drew an average of 1 million visitors per year for its ice skating rinks, petting zoos, UC cadet programs, bird watching, bike races, and much more.

If you go to Floyd Bennett Field today, you wouldn't see any children on playgrounds or fishermen dotting the shoreline. Instead, you would see massive tents, hastily thrown together over the last few weeks to house 2,000 migrants in semi-congregate facilities.

This tent city has been called a recipe for disaster.

Local Democrat and Republican elected officials, the U.S. Park Police Union, the Legal Aid Society, and the Coalition for the Homeless have all spoken out against using Floyd Bennett Field as a migrant housing facility.

The Park Police Union testified before the Committee on Natural Resources that it was a, ``law enforcement nightmare and public safety disaster in the making.''

Numerous organizations have raised concerns about inadequate bathroom facilities, cramped sleeping areas, and hazards for children.

The local fire department said the area is a fire trap and lacks basic safety features, like fire hydrants. If that wasn't enough, the entire facility is located in a flood plain that floods even on days with light rain.

Maybe the Biden administration would have known about these issues ahead of time had they not tried to get around the National Environmental Policy Act by improperly declaring this as an emergency.

Perhaps it is no surprise that when the first busloads of migrants started arriving at Floyd Bennett Field, they turned right back around and refused to stay there.

Migrant families are now warning each other against staying there, saying that the site is freezing cold, babies are suffering, it is not suitable for children, and believe it or not, there are no televisions.

This entire boondoggle has been a colossal waste of time and American tax dollars.

Why are we here? Because of failed Democrat policies.

President Biden has failed to secure our border leading to a record number of migrant apprehensions last month.

Liberal New York Democrats have turned New York into a sanctuary city whose right-to-shelter laws will cost an estimated $12 billion over the next 3 years just to house undocumented immigrants.

The mission of the National Park Service is to conserve the natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of future generations, not bail out the failed border policies of the Biden administration.

The use of emergency declarations at Floyd Bennett Field is a result of a man-made problem that President Biden is responsible for.

The border crisis is now everywhere in America, and what is happening at Floyd Bennett Field is something that highlights the failures at the southern border. This is the Biden administration's legacy for the National Park Service.

Congresswoman Malliotakis' legislation will ensure that Federal lands throughout the country, including parks such as Hot Springs National Park in my district and the Grand Canyon in the ranking member's home State, remain natural wonders, not tent cities for illegal immigrants.

Madam Chair, I thank Representative Malliotakis for her strong leadership on this effort. I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC, November 14, 2023. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual understanding regarding H.R. 5283, the ``Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023''. Thank you for collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the matters within our jurisdiction.

The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further consideration of this bill. However, by foregoing consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over any subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees should it become necessary and ask that you support such a request.

We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 5283, and request a copy of our letters on this matter be published in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration. Sincerely, Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC, November 14, 2023. Hon. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding H.R. 5283, the Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023, which was ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources on October 26, 2023.

I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture and appreciate your willingness to forgo action on the bill. I acknowledge that the Committee on Agriculture will not formally consider H.R. 5283 and agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein.

I am pleased to support your request to name members of the Committee on Agriculture to any conference committee to consider such provisions. I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation. Sincerely, Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis), the lead sponsor of this bill.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany), the chair of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Minnesota.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, it sounds like we have bipartisan support for H.R. 2, the Secure our Borders Act, which was passed out of this Chamber that would secure our border and would address the fentanyl crisis. Maybe some of our colleagues weren't paying attention when we brought that up and debated it and passed it. Hopefully, they can go talk to Senator Schumer who represents New York, and get that bill through the Senate and on President Biden's desk.

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, may I get an update on the time remaining.
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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the State of Washington (Mr. Newhouse).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I believe I have about as much time left as the Biden administration put into the permitting process on Floyd Bennett Field. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, again, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 5283, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this commonsense amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee. This good amendment will provide transparency and hold the Biden administration accountable for their ongoing failure to secure the southern border.

Now, it is unfortunate that this amendment is necessary, but the Biden administration has refused repeated requests from the committee over the past several months to produce documentation regarding the exact number of illegal immigrants housed on our Federal lands.

We must ensure that our Federal lands, which have been specifically set aside for the enjoyment and benefit of American people, are not used to bail out the Biden administration from their manmade crisis and emergency and their unwillingness to secure our southern border.

The Biden administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood into our country, staggering figures that have strained communities from our border all the way to New York City.

As Republicans continue to push for border security measures, it is vital that we ensure that our Federal lands are not being co-opted as housing for massive floods of illegal immigrants.

This amendment and the underlying bill will ensure that our Federal lands are not misused.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for offering this thoughtful amendment, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the amendment.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from New York.

If this amendment were adopted, it would make this bill probably worse than where we are with the status quo because it would require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to provide housing when the States couldn't provide the housing.

Therefore, States that have declared themselves sanctuaries, like New York, could just say they are not providing housing. It is then back to the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to provide the housing, which would probably result in more migrant shelters on Federal lands.

Our Federal lands were not designed or intended to encamp migrants, especially not our national parks. Again, the mission of the National Park Service is to conserve these areas ``in such a manner and by such a means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.'' Nothing about constructing tent cities for illegal migrants protects this land for the enjoyment of current or future generations.

The mission of the National Park Service also specifies conserving unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System. Nothing about constructing tent cities for illegal immigrants conserves the natural and cultural resources of Floyd Bennett Field or the Gateway National Recreation Area.

This amendment cannot be implemented in a practical manner. It creates a complex verification system based on subjective standards for which the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture have no expertise. This amendment would entangle these agencies further into our immigration debacle rather than acknowledging they should never have been included in this debate in the first place.

Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this amendment.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Hunt) having assumed the chair, Mr. LaMalfa, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5283) to prohibit the use of Federal funds to provide housing to specified aliens on any land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Federal land management agencies, had come to no resolution thereon.

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