[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 82 (Friday, May 10, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E479-E480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE EQUAL REPRESENTATION ACT, ISSUES SURROUNDING 
            THE BORDER CRISIS, ANTISEMITISM AND ENERGY COSTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHUCK EDWARDS

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 10, 2024

  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
newsletter to give an update to my constituents to bring awareness to 
the Equal Representation Act in addition to issues surrounding the 
border crisis, antisemitism and energy costs.
       Dear Friend,
       This week, I was successful in passing my fourth bill since 
     serving in Congress, the Equal Representation Act.
       Our democracy depends on electoral integrity, and that 
     includes fair and equal representation of American citizens.
       By requiring a citizenship question on the decennial 
     census, the Equal Representation Act would make sure that 
     only U.S. citizens--those who have the right to vote--are 
     counted when apportioning the number of congressional seats 
     and Electoral College votes that each state has.
       Including non-citizens in the count when divvying up the 
     number of congressional seats for each state weakens 
     Americans' representation. In fact, the Center for 
     Immigration Studies found that California has more 
     congressional seats than the population would otherwise 
     allow, and New York has

[[Page E480]]

     four more, giving these states a greater influence in 
     determining the direction of our country.
       We need guardrails to protect our democracy, and that 
     includes making sure that American citizens--and American 
     citizens only--are accurately represented in their federal 
     government.
       It's time to stop diluting the voice and votes of Americans 
     and with the passage of my bill, it's clear that many of my 
     colleagues agree.


          Condemning the administration's deadly border crisis

       A major reason we need to stop illegal immigrants from 
     skewing representation numbers in our government is due to 
     this administration's disastrous open-border policies that 
     have allowed more than 7.2 million illegal immigrants to 
     enter our country through our southern border. That is more 
     than the population of 36 states.
       President Biden inherited policies from President Trump 
     that would have strengthened our border security. However, 
     since Biden's first day in office, he has reversed policies 
     that were in place to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, 
     and has undermined U.S. border security on more than 60 
     occasions.
       The House sent a strong message by passing H. Res. 1112, 
     which condemns this administration's policies that have 
     created this costly border crisis. We also urged the 
     administration to take immediate action to end this national 
     security threat, and we will not rest until law and order is 
     restored at our borders.


   The president's clandestine flights of more than 400,000 illegal 
                               immigrants

       The House Homeland Security Committee recently released 
     documents that identified more than 45 airport locations to 
     which the president secretly flew more than 400,000 illegal 
     immigrants.
       These documents are another example of how this 
     administration is jeopardizing the safety of Americans and 
     our national security, and why the House needed to pass the 
     strongest border security bill in history, the Secure the 
     Border Act, which would strengthen our borders by restoring 
     President Trump's border policies.


                Standing with Jewish students and Israel

       You've probably seen footage of antisemitic mobs who have 
     been defending the actions of Hamas, harassing Jewish 
     students and disrupting learning across college campuses in 
     America.
       The House has launched a probe to crack down on campus 
     antisemitism, and we will not stop until Jewish students feel 
     safe on their campuses, and until universities that fail to 
     do their part are held accountable.
       Colleges and universities need leadership with a moral 
     backbone to stand up against antisemitism and provide a safe 
     learning environment for Jewish students. Any administrators 
     who refuse to hold these protestors accountable are not fit 
     to lead and should resign.


       Taxpayers are shouldering the cost of open border policies

       During a House Budget Committee hearing, members examined 
     the financial consequences of the administration's border 
     crisis and had an opportunity to inform the American people 
     of the true cost of open border policies.
       The White House's open border policies have resulted in a 
     surge of illegal immigrant encounters and influx of deadly 
     drugs across our southwestern border.
       This is being paid for by the American taxpayer at the 
     federal, state and local levels.
       The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) 
     calculated that illegal immigration for 2023 alone cost 
     taxpayers $150.7 billion. Taxpayers are shouldering $8,776 
     per illegal immigrant per year for nearly 22 million illegal 
     immigrants to cover costs including for housing, feeding, 
     clothing, jailing, adjudication, education and shelter.
       To protect American lives and improve the federal 
     government's stewardship of taxpayer dollars, securing our 
     southwestern border requires a collaborative partnership 
     among all levels of government, including federal, state and 
     local.
       As a member of the House Budget Committee, I'll continue to 
     look for avenues to enforce the law of the land and implement 
     a cost-effective, comprehensive border security strategy that 
     secures our border, ends illegal immigration and protects our 
     citizens.


   A port's significance in the health of U.S. supply chain, economy

       Imagine this: You go to the grocery store and there's no 
     fruit. Or maybe you're building a house and there's a steel 
     and lumber shortage. Why? Because North Carolina's largest 
     port, the Port of Wilmington, has been cut off due to a 
     collapse of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge,
       This collapse would immediately restrict access to the 
     port, which contributes $12.9 billion to North Carolina's 
     economy every year, directly and indirectly supports more 
     than 87,700 jobs across the Old North State, and would cost 
     the economy tens of millions of dollars each day the port is 
     closed.
       That's what the Port of Baltimore and the citizens of 
     Maryland are experiencing due to the collapse of the Francis 
     Scott Key Bridge over the lower Patapsco River.
       I recently visited the Port of Baltimore and the wreckage 
     site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge as a member of the House 
     Appropriations Committee. Our mission was to better 
     understand the collapse, its impact on the economy, and what 
     will be needed to rebuild the bridge.
       The Port of Baltimore is the nation's farthest-inland port, 
     and the top domestic port for cars, forest products, farm 
     equipment and sugar. The port generates $4.7 billion in 
     economic value to the state of Maryland and supports nearly 
     22,000 jobs,
       Estimates predict the Baltimore port's closure costs 
     America's economy $15 million each day it is closed and has 
     added hours to transportation times for vital goods and 
     services that Americans rely on every day in the mid-Atlantic 
     region and beyond.
       Ships are having to travel greater distances to offload 
     shipments, and an estimated 5,000 trucks per day are being 
     diverted across the region, adding hours to their travel time 
     and significantly affecting the flow of goods across most of 
     the United States.
       Maryland's transportation secretary estimates that the cost 
     to rebuild this critical pillar of our nation's supply chain 
     is nearly S1.9 billion.
       At some point, when Maryland comes to the federal 
     government for our assistance in funding this rebuild, I want 
     you to know that I will be supporting that effort for the 
     sake of our nation's supply chain and for the health of our 
     national economy, just as I would hope my colleagues in 
     Maryland would do if such a tragedy were to ever happen at a 
     North Carolina port.


               Scaling back unachievable energy standards

       If the White House is going to require new product 
     standards for energy conservation, the requirements should be 
     feasible and reasonable.
       I cast NC-11's vote for the Hands Off Our Home Appliances 
     Act to modify the Department of Energy's (DOE) procedures for 
     mandating energy-efficiency standards by prohibiting the DOE 
     secretary from requiring standards that are not 
     technologically feasible and economically justified.
       Western North Carolinians are already burdened by rising 
     costs, and the last thing we need is more unrealistic federal 
     regulations that further raise prices, fail to provide 
     meaningful energy savings and take away consumer choice.


                  Gold Star Family Fellowship Program

       The Gold Star Family Fellowship Program is organized by the 
     Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the House of 
     Representatives and is an opportunity for Gold Star family 
     members to apply for a one-year fellowship with members of 
     Congress. This includes any family member (parents, children 
     including stepchildren, spouses or siblings) of military 
     members who have died in the line of duty.
       If you are interested in applying for this fellowship, 
     visit the CAO website here.
       With my warmest regards,
       Chuck Edwards
       Member of Congress

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