Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to permit the use of 702 information to vet foreign nationals entering the United States. This amendment enables the thorough vetting of all foreigners being processed for traveling to the United States, whether that is a foreign national applying for a visa, applying for legal immigration, or illegally crossing our southern border.
This is what I think a lot of Americans probably don't realize: Currently, section 702 has only been authorized to collect information to support some Department of Homeland Security efforts to screen and vet foreign persons applying for travel or immigration to the United States. This amendment will enhance the vetting of all foreigners who come here.
If national security concerns are found through this vetting, these results will be provided to the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the Department of Defense to ensure the Federal Government is making the most informed decision before we allow foreign nationals' admission.
Mr. Chair, we are 3 years into the worst crisis at the southern border in the history of the United States. Last year, Customs and Border Protection reported 2\1/2\ million encounters with people attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. Alarmingly, over the last 2 years, CBP has apprehended more than 70,000 special interest aliens, people from countries identified as having conditions that promote or protect terrorism.
Mr. Chair, the FBI Director is ringing the alarm bell with the over 300 people on the terrorist watch list who are now somewhere in America compared to just 12 under the last administration. This population includes 538 aliens from Syria and 659 aliens from Iran, two state sponsors of terrorism, I might add, in addition to 139 from Yemen, which right now houses the Houthis, and over 1,600 from Pakistan. We just saw ISIS-K attack Moscow. We have just seen six plots stopped in Europe, and I fear that we are about to suffer another attack like San Bernardino, like Pulse nightclub, or, God forbid, another 9/11.
Equally concerning, the fastest growing group entering through our southern border is now from China, our number one adversary. Over 24,000 Chinese nationals have been apprehended at the southern border just in the last year. Of the 1.3 million illegal immigrants in the United States with deportation orders, over 100,000 are Chinese nationals.
The American people expect us to use every tool we legally can, every intelligence piece of equipment and every database that we can, to protect them against foreigners who would mean us harm.
Mr. Chair, we have these tools. We have reformed the abuses of these tools, and we have to allow our national security professionals to have the best information possible to keep Americans safe. We can't wait until there is another attack and then throw up our hands in this body and say: Why didn't we stop it?
I am astounded, frankly, that anyone, any Republican, would oppose this amendment after we have been here time and time again saying that we have to protect our border, that we have to protect Americans, and that if you want to come to the United States, then, fine, you need to do so legally, but we are going to look into your background, we are going to make sure you are not a terrorist, and we are going to make sure you are not a Chinese national spy who means to do us harm.
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Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I find it astounding the leader of the Progressive Caucus, Ms. Jayapal, and Mr. Jordan agree on these issues.
Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).
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Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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