[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E537-E538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         POLICE OUR BORDER ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2024

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R. 
8146, the ``Police Our Border Act''.
  As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Crime Subcommittee and as 
Senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am deeply 
disappointed in this harmful and misguided bill. Yet again, House 
Republicans are wasting time with another bill that does nothing to 
solve any issues at the border.
  Instead of trying to pass thoughtful and bipartisan legislation to 
address the problems in our immigration system, they have once again 
brought forward a bill that has no chance of becoming law and 
accomplishes absolutely nothing.
  This legislation is purportedly a reporting bill that simply requires 
the Attorney General to submit a report to Congress on the impact the 
number of migrants coming to the border is having on law enforcement 
officers at the Federal, State, local, and Tribal level.
  Upon closer inspection however, this bill seeks to codify Republican 
attacks on the President's immigration policies and the fearmongering 
and demonization of immigrants.
  For example, the bill requires the Attorney General to submit a 
report to Congress on the impact the ``Biden border crisis'' is having 
on law enforcement officers at the Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
level.
  Additionally, the report must include information on the exposure of 
law enforcement officers to fentanyl as a result of encounters with 
illegal aliens.''
  Both of these reporting requirements contain politically motivated 
rhetoric disguised as fact.
  This bill is also very poorly drafted.
  Despite the fact the entire bill is focused on reporting requirements 
related to the ``Biden border crisis,'' this term is not defined in the 
legislation.
  The failure to define this key term provides little guidance to the 
Attorney General on the required report, and it is further evidence 
that this bill is more about messaging than congressional oversight of 
the executive branch.
  Additionally, the Secretary of Homeland Security would almost 
certainly be much better situated to assess issues related to border 
security.
  However, it appears Republicans chose to request this bill's report 
from the Attorney General to ensure the Judiciary Committee would have 
jurisdiction over this bill, so they

[[Page E538]]

would have an immigration-related bill to offer for ``Police Week.''
  Instead of trying to pass thoughtful and bipartisan legislation to 
address the problems in our immigration system, this bill fails in such 
endeavor and offers no viable action.
  It is also important to state the fact that the border is not open.
  Let us look at the facts.
  In the Fiscal Year 24 appropriations bill, Congress appropriated over 
$3.4 billion for DHS to maintain and use 41,500 detention beds.
  These are levels of detention similar to those during under the Trump 
administration.
  Despite the claims of this bill, the Biden administration has 
significantly expanded expedited removal, and in ways that many in our 
caucus worry violates due process.''
  Since the end of Title 42 last year, the Biden administration has 
removed or returned over 660,000 individuals, including over 102,000 
individual members of family units, including children.
  This is more than the number of people removed or returned in any 
year under the Trump administration.
  Yet, time and again, Republicans have refused to take yes for an 
answer.
  In addition to rejecting the bipartisan Senate border bill, 
Republicans have consistently refused to support providing additional 
resources and personnel for the border.
  In 2021, all but six current House Republicans voted against the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which provided additional funding to 
ports of entry to combat smuggling of people and drugs.
  All but two current House Republicans voted against providing robust 
funding for border security operations in the FY2023 appropriations 
omnibus legislation.
  That bill provided more than $17 billion to Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP), including funding for an additional 300 Border Patrol 
agents.
  The omnibus also included $60 million to hire 125 CBP officers and 
$70 million for nonintrusive inspection technology to detect narcotics 
and firearms at ports of entry.
  In October of 2023, the Biden administration sent Congress a 
supplemental funding request, which included an additional $13.6 
billion for border security.
  My Republican colleagues have refused to schedule a vote on this 
funding request, which would provide the Biden administration the 
resources it needs to secure the border and provide additional support 
for communities receiving migrants.
  More specifically, this supplemental funding would pay for an 
additional 1,300 Border Patrol agents; 375 immigration judges and 1,600 
asylum officers to speed up processing of asylum claims; 1,000 CBP 
officers with a focus on countering fentanyl; new detection technology 
for ports of entry; additional investigative capabilities to combat 
fentanyl trafficking; and $1.4 billion more in grants to help 
communities receiving migrants, among other investments.
  By forcing a vote on this bill, Republicans are showing they have no 
real solutions to address the border.
  I urge Members to not take the bait, and to vote no on this bill.

                          ____________________