[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1062-H1063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, since President Biden took office 
there have been 8.7 illegal crossings nationwide. There have been over 
7.2 million illegal crossings of our southern border.
  The total number of illegal immigrants who have entered through our 
southern border is greater than the population of 36 States, including 
Iowa.
  Last week, the Republican-led House took a stand and passed the Laken 
Riley Act, legislation introduced by Representative  Mike Collins.
  This is in addition to having passed H.R. 2, a border security and 
immigration bill.
  This legislation honors the life and memory of Laken Riley and other 
victims of the Biden administration's open-border policies and endorses 
immigration laws.
  The legislation also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
take into custody aliens who have been charged with theft in the United 
States.
  I voted for the Laken Riley Act to honor Laken Riley and protect our 
communities. I also voted in honor of the countless victims of the 
border crisis, the angel families, like Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old 
University of Iowa student who was killed by an illegal immigrant from 
Mexico, who lived in the United States for several years before 
murdering Mollie. Like Laken Riley, Mollie was out for a jog.
  These heartbreaking stories of both Laken and Mollie are a constant 
reminder that our immigration system is broken and that the Biden 
border crisis is worsening by the minute.
  Remember, it was President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security, 
Jeh Johnson, who said more than a thousand immigrants crossing the 
border is a crisis.
  In Iowa, according to the last CDC ``Drug Overdose Mortality by 
State'' report, in 2021 we had a record high of 475 overdose deaths. 
Across the Nation, overdose deaths cost the U.S. $1 trillion per year. 
In San Francisco, during COVID, there were more deaths from overdose in 
the 18- to 45-year-old age group than deaths from COVID.
  Yet, during the President's State of the Union Address last week, he 
delivered a lackluster campaign speech masked as a State of the Union 
Address that was divisive, touted empty policies, and swept the chaos 
at our southern border under the rug, all while putting blame on 
somebody else instead of where it resides, and that is with President 
Biden and his administration.
  I am not surprised that the President failed to mention the decline 
of our Nation during his State of the Union Address, but I am 
disappointed. I am disappointed at the President's prized appearances--
the appearance of a strong Nation, the appearance of a strong economy--
over the harsh realities that many Americans face.
  We cannot continue to ignore this aggressive overreach of the Biden 
administration and the mounting border crisis due to his overturning of 
policies and not enforcing immigration laws.
  I will not ignore the mounting crisis, and I urge my colleagues to 
join me and work to keep our communities safe from the Biden border 
crisis and the fentanyl and illegal drugs that are crossing our border.


       Congratulating University of Iowa Women's Basketball Team

  Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 
University of Iowa's women's basketball team.
  Yesterday, the incredible team won their third consecutive Big Ten 
Tournament title.
  Led by Coach Bluder, the Hawkeyes beat Nebraska in overtime. The team 
did an outstanding job.
  Hannah Stuelke had 9 rebounds, Sydney Affolter registered her third 
straight 10-point performance and second career double-double with 11 
points and a team-best 11 rebounds. Gabby Marshall and Kate Martin were 
instrumental in getting us to overtime, and Caitlin Clark was named the 
Big Ten Tournament MVP for the third consecutive tournament.
  Caitlin is only the second player since 1995 to earn MVP honors in 
three consecutive State tournaments.

[[Page H1063]]

  I am extremely proud of our women's basketball team on their stellar 
performance and their record-breaking season. Job well done.
  Congratulations to the University of Iowa women's basketball team on 
winning the Big Ten Tournament.
  Go Hawks.

                          ____________________