Chairman Cole Opening Remarks on H.R. 6276 and H. Res. 1065

"Good afternoon.

President Biden didn’t inherit the current chaos we see at the southern border—he created it.

Within his first hours in office, he halted construction of the border wall, and in the days that followed, issued numerous executive actions that invited an open border and lawlessness.

He suspended deportations, ended asylum agreements, instituted catch-and-release, granted mass parole, and even unveiled amnesty plans. The result has been the worst border crisis ever recorded in the United States.

Under the Biden Administration, at least 6.3 million illegal immigrants have streamed into our nation. That number is greater than the populations of thirty-two states. The numbers continue to grow, as do the consequences. The humanitarian and security impacts have been devastating—and the dire situation has only further emboldened criminals and bad actors.

Yet, the White House has refused to take responsibility. In fact, before this very body just last week, the President could have embraced accountability and announced a new direction. He chose deflection and blame-shifting instead. No amount of spin changes the fact that he could address this disaster today. The same pen that started the crisis could be used to reverse it. It’s unfortunate that taking immediate steps to secure our border and enforce our immigration laws remains too radical for Democrats and this administration.

So today we will consider H. Res. 1065, a resolution calling on President Biden to end his destructive policies and laying out the immediate steps he can take to secure the border and enforce existing immigration laws. To do otherwise is to compound the existing dereliction of duty that has led us to this point.

We will also consider H.R. 6276, the Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies Act of 2023. The bill will improve oversight of Federal office space to reduce waste and save taxpayer dollars.

With increased government teleworking following the covid pandemic, many offices, both owned and leased, are not being utilized to the extent they once were. Maintenance of these spaces costs more than $6 billion each year, and it is a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars to keep investing in unused areas.

H.R. 6276 requires the General Services Administration and Office of Management and Budget to assess Federal office utilization rates, evaluate how offices are being used, and make consolidation recommendations for inactive spaces. This will help reduce the Federal property footprint and enable us to save taxpayer dollars."

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