[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 82 (Friday, May 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H4960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WORSENING CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER
(Mr. GROTHMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, as we break for the weekend, I remind the
other Members of this body that when we come back, there is no greater
crisis this country faces than the crisis at the border.
I leave Members with just a few numbers that we want to turn around
quickly: first of all, the number of people coming here who are not
appropriately vetted who are sometimes referred to as illegal aliens;
two Marches ago there were 11,000; one March ago 63,000; and the most
recent March Border Patrol puts at 150,000.
Think of that: in 2 years from 11,000, 63,000, 153,000 per month. And
the Cabinet Secretary in charge of this says that he inherited a mess.
He inherited great laws including the Migrant Protection Protocol, and
now we have a true mess.
The second number: 110 deaths in the past year in this country from
fentanyl, a horrific drug, almost all of which comes across the
southern border. By comparison, 57,000 Americans died in the Vietnam
war. Twice as many people die every year in this country from illegal
drug overdoses as died in 12 years in the Vietnam war.
I sincerely hope this body will deal with the southern border and
make it a priority when we come back.
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