Juan Ciscomani: “I thank my friend from Alabama for yielding me time. I am glad to see this body taking up my border security legislation…”

“I thank my friend from Alabama for yielding me time. I am glad to see this body taking up my border security legislation today alongside these other important packages as well. Now, the gentleman from New York calls this a joke. Well, I don't know what he finds funny, but nothing about this situation is funny. It is not funny to our Border Patrol agents; it is not funny to my border communities; and it is certainly not funny to the hundreds of thousands of women and children being trafficked by the Mexican cartels at our southern border. There is nothing funny about this situation. Let's be clear: Our border is broken and has been for a long time. At a time where our world is more dangerous than ever and our adversaries are emboldened, protecting our homeland is our most critical priority. Attacks by our adversaries have spurred the urgent need to support our allies. Congress should be able and must do both, and it all starts with a secure border, Mr. Speaker. This bill takes major strides in addressing our porous border. It would immediately restart construction of the border wall, end the disastrous catch and release policies, and streamline the asylum process. We have seen policies that work, including remain in Mexico and Asylum Cooperative Agreements in the Northern Triangle. This bill would start the process of going back to those policies and, in turn, stem the flow we are seeing. The United States Congress is the most powerful body in the world.…”