On the recordJanuary 5, 2017
I have traveled to the southern border dozens of times over the years, and the problem is always the same. The people who defend our border--really, defend our country--do the best they can with what they have got, but they are outmanned, outgunned, and outfinanced by the drug cartels and the people coming across from the other side. The continued failure to protect our border threatens our national security and the sovereignty of America. The reality is that the majority of the southern border territory is controlled by someone other than the United States. Why? Because there is no workable plan. Also, there is no moral will by this administration to protect our border. My bill, the SMART Border Act, outlines a robust border protection strategy that includes achieving operational control of the border within 1 year, provides smart border technology, and mandates more boots on the ground, including 10,000 National Guard troops at the request of the four border State Governors. Mr. Speaker, we must have the moral will to protect our borders. All types of people are crossing the border into the United States illegally--the good, the bad, and the ugly--and those days need to end. No one should come into America without America's permission. And that is just the way it is. ____________________
