[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 150 (Monday, September 18, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H4353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, since President Biden took 
office, there have been over 5.8 million illegal crossings on our 
southern border and 1.6 million illegal immigrants have evaded 
apprehension.
  Instead of funding our Border Patrol agents to deal with the rise in 
attempted crossings, President Biden has chosen to incentivize 
crossings by ending President Trump's remain in Mexico policy.
  At a time when the leading cause of death for Americans between the 
ages of 18 and 45 is overdoses, Democrats' failure to pass 
comprehensive border security legislation is an indictment of their 
failure to protect the American people. Instead of addressing the 
importation of fentanyl-related substances, liberals in this body have 
voted against legislation like the HALT Fentanyl Act, which is 
legislation that would permanently classify these drugs as schedule I 
narcotics and impose harsh penalties on the dealers who traffic these 
deadly poisons.
  In the past year, I have spoken with too many first responders who 
have administered Narcan on 911 calls. I have spoken with too many 
county coroners conducting autopsies on young people killed far too 
soon by fentanyl poisonings. I have spoken with far too many families 
who have lost a loved one to an overdose.
  It is time for the Senate to stop sitting on the sidelines while 
Americans suffer and die. It is time to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. It 
is time to secure our border.
  Our top priority must be to protect our Nation's border and put a 
stop to drug smuggling and illegal immigration that have made every 
State in our Union a border State.

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