[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 80 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2255-H2256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SOLVING THE WORST BORDER CRISIS IN AMERICAN HISTORY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Cline) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, since his first day in office, President 
Biden has actively worked to weaken our southern border through radical 
open border policies that have resulted in the worst border crisis in 
our Nation's history, turning every community--including mine, the 
Sixth District of Virginia--into a border community.
  Despite the President's and Secretary Mayorkas' desperate attempts to 
downplay the crisis and tell Americans to deal with it, the facts don't 
lie.
  Under Biden's failed leadership, Border Patrol officials have 
encountered a record high of more than 5 million illegal immigrants at 
our southern border, and nearly 2 million of them have been released in 
the United States by the Department of Homeland Security. At the same 
time, over 1.5 million known got-aways have illegally crossed the 
border undetected.
  From halting construction of the border wall to reinstituting Obama-
era catch-and-release policies and deciding to halt title 42, President 
Biden has willingly and knowingly failed to protect the southern border 
and uphold the rule of law.
  Now our Border Patrol is underresourced, our national security is 
jeopardized, and drug cartels are empowered to smuggle deadly fentanyl 
into our interior.
  In fact, Virginia communities are being overrun. According to the 
Virginia Department of Health, in 2021, Virginia had a 15 percent 
increase in overdoses from 2020, with synthetic fentanyl being the 
leading cause of those 2,033 deaths.
  This is an invasion, and it must be stopped. House Republicans know 
that border security is national security, which is why we have brought 
to the floor H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.
  The Judiciary Committee played a leading role in crafting this 
legislation, and I am proud of the work we have done to make this the 
strongest border security package that Congress has ever considered. 
However, we must get it enacted.
  H.R. 2 will secure America's borders by improving the asylum system, 
deploying urgent resources to the southern and northern borders--
including walls, manpower, and technologies--and ending incentives for 
illegal immigration.
  Mr. Speaker, innocent lives are at stake. Our Nation's sovereignty is 
at stake. We owe it to the American people to tackle Biden's disastrous 
border crisis. That starts with passing this legislation, and I urge 
every one of my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill to 
address this national crisis.

                              {time}  1045


 Congratulating State Champions Glenvar High School Boys Indoor Track 
                             and Field Team

  Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Glenvar High 
School Boys Indoor Track and Field Team on winning the combined class 
\1/2\ State championship held at Liberty University.
  The Glenvar Highlanders won the trophy at the 2-day meet with a score 
of 58 points, a 9-point victory over the runners-up.
  Glenvar's senior Heath Bowker dominated the meet, winning the boys 
500-meter dash in 1:08:20.
  Highlanders Jackson Swanson, Zach Curfiss, Avone Noel, and Heath 
Bowker joined forces to win the 4x200 relay in 1:33:25.
  Another Highlanders squad of Heath Bowker, Caeden Bowker, Colby 
Thompson, and Zach Curfiss won the 4x400 relay in 3:29:88.
  Congratulations to all these athletes, including Marshall Berryman, 
Caeden Bowker, Zach Curfiss, Tyler Davis, Charlie Horrell, Bryce King, 
Nathaniel King, Aldin Smith, Colby Thompson, Aiden Woodie, Josh Woods, 
and seniors Heath Bowker, Avone Noel, Davis Norman, and Jackson 
Swanson.
  The team is led by head coach Bekka Loder and assistant Madison 
Bourne.
  Congratulations again to these athletes, parents, coaches, and staff 
on an incredible season and well-deserved victory.


Congratulating Northside High School State Championship Boys Basketball 
                                  Team

  Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Northside 
High School boys basketball team on winning the Virginia Class 3 
Basketball State Championship held at the VCU Siegel Center.
  The win marked the second basketball State championship in school 
history and the first since 2019.
  Northside came out strong, leading by 17 in the first quarter. As the 
game entered the final minutes, Northside was down by 4, but this squad 
dug deep to come out with the trophy and pull out the 58-52 victory 
against Hopewell.
  The Vikings' final push was led by double-digit scorers, Lawrence 
Cole, Cy Hardy, and Mykell Harvey, a trio that combined for the 53 of 
the Vikings' 58 points.
  I extend congratulations to all the players, including Cy Hardy, 
Xavier Garrison, Nick Crawford, David Via, Mykell Harvey, Michael 
Pankey, Kai Logan, Jamareay Lavender, Javin Gibson, Will Smith, Kavon 
Brown, along with special recognition to seniors Ja'Chan Anthony, 
Lawrence Cole, Jayden Smith, Elijah Trigg. Congratulations also to the 
head coach, Billy Pope, and assistants Jake Paysour and Josh Malave.
  Congratulations again to all the players, coaches, parents, and staff 
on a historic season.

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