Vicky Hartzler: “Tonight, we are here to have a conversation about the situation at our southern border. The President calls it a border…”

“Tonight, we are here to have a conversation about the situation at our southern border. The President calls it a border crisis and a humanitarian crisis, yet others call it immoral to give more funding to secure our Nation at the southern border. So what really is the situation? We are in the 20th day of a government shutdown over the question of: Is the security of the American people at risk because of what is happening at our southern border? And, if it is, what should we do about it? Tonight, my colleagues and I want to share the facts regarding the situation, and some stories from our districts, that illustrate why we support building a wall, as well as securing our border in other ways. For me, it is a matter of three things: The need to stop the flow of illegal drugs; The safety of innocent families in our districts, as well as the safety of innocent individuals who want to come here and immigrate to our country; and Third, I believe it is a matter of fairness. Let me share what I mean. I believe, and I think most people agree, that we have a drug crisis in our country. I see it every week when I am back in my district, when I talk to my law enforcement, when I talk to my families who have lost a child through a heroin overdose, when I see the rising foster care numbers in our State because their parents are drug addicted. We have a crisis.…”