[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                VOICE OF TEXAS--BILL BAGI: CROSBY, TEXAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, like many Members of Congress, I 
receive thousands of emails from my neighbors each month about the 
issues that are important to them. Since I work for them and I'm their 
advocate, it is important that I bring their words directly to the 
House floor and let other Members hear what I call the pulse of Texans.
  Bill Bagi, from Crosby, Texas, recently wrote me about the 
deteriorating condition of our southern border with Mexico. Here's what 
he has to say:

       I own and operate a heavy, specialized trucking company and 
     transport specialized freight around the USA and Canada. One-
     fourth of my freight ends up in the south Texas towns of 
     McAllen, Pharr, and Brownsville, and other towns.
       Over the last 10 years, I have watched the border in south 
     Texas deteriorate with not only undocumented crossing, but 
     much worse--the cartels. I know from many of my business 
     customers along the U.S. border that this cartel issue is 
     becoming a very serious issue. Many speak of a blood bath to 
     come on the Rio Grande River.
       I urge you to ask the Congress and our President to not 
     stop the deployment of people on the southern border, but to 
     increase them tenfold to protect our U.S. citizens living in 
     America.
       This is much more serious than the media and the government 
     want to admit.
       Does the U.S. government want a blood bath to take place 
     before they protect our U.S. southern home front? We must 
     stop the infusion of these cartels at the Rio Grande, or they 
     will infest the whole United States, as the Chicago cartel 
     did back in the mob days.
       Families are not arming themselves for fun in south Texas. 
     They are preparing for the worst to come. Many believe the 
     U.S. government will not be there when the time comes and we 
     need them. If we don't stop them in south Texas, than Houston 
     and Dallas will be infested with cartel influence.
       I have great concerns that they are already operating in 
     the Highlands/Baytown area of southeast Texas.
       Thanks for your past support and future drive to protect 
     U.S. citizens.

  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bagi tells us that he's scared to even go to the 
south Texas border region. He is a businessman, and he sees firsthand, 
as the citizens who live on the border do, the problem with the drug 
cartels.
  He is not alone. Mexico is quickly becoming, in my opinion, a failed 
state. Texas towns are in danger because the Federal Government just 
does not adequately defend the homeland. Bureaucrats in Washington 
should listen to the people who actually live and work on the southern 
border.
  Unlike what our government wants us to believe, the drug cartels do 
not stop at the Mexican-Texas border. Even just last week, our border 
patrol came under gunfire on the border in Texas from the Mexican side 
of the border. Mr. Speaker, we send troops to foreign nations to 
protect their borders. Why don't we protect our own?
  Local sheriffs and the border patrol do the best they can with what 
they have, but it's just not enough. It's really past time for the 
Federal Government to step up and make Mr. Bagi and all Americans feel 
safe again. After all, the Constitution actually requires the Federal 
Government to protect the homeland.
  And that's just the way it is.

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