[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4538-H4539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BORDER SOLUTIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss President Biden's open 
border.
  Since President Biden was sworn in, his open-border policies have 
created a national security and humanitarian crisis. House Republicans 
continue to urge the White House and our Democrat colleagues in 
Congress to work with us to identify solutions. Again and again, we are 
met with silence.
  I understand border security may not be politically convenient for my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but at some point, they must 
stop pretending that this crisis does not exist.
  I found it telling that over the Fourth of July weekend, the White 
House touted that illegal crossings along the U.S. southern border 
decreased following President Biden's recent executive order. What they 
conveniently left out is that even with this executive order, May was 
still the 39th straight month where illegal immigrant encounters have 
been higher than even the highest month under President Trump's 
administration.
  I understand that the White House is in desperate need of good press, 
but with all due respect, Mr. Speaker, the facts are the facts. Our 
borders are far from secure, and no feel-good story or graphic from the 
White House communications team is going to change that.

  I spent last week with Kansans in 11 counties across the Big First 
District, and they were clear: Addressing the Nation's border crisis 
matters to them.
  Under President Biden's policies, cartels have been winners, and 
innocent children and those who are trying to enter the country legally 
have been the losers. It doesn't have to be this way. Let's do 
something to fix this chaos.
  First, we need to immediately finish the border wall. Time and time 
again,

[[Page H4539]]

Border Patrol agents have shared that a physical barrier along our 
Nation's borders, coupled with advanced technology, is extremely 
helpful in stopping the cartels. We also need to designate the Mexican 
cartels as exactly what they are, terrorists. These human smugglers get 
rich by putting lives at risk and pouring fentanyl into our country. It 
is unacceptable.
  We need to implement policies that are actually effective. On his 
first day in office, President Biden immediately began rolling back the 
Trump administration's immigration policies for no other reason than 
they were associated with President Trump's name. President Biden never 
asked if the policies were helping curb illegal immigration or slow 
illegal immigrants from entering the country or whether it was good for 
the United States of America.
  It was simply: If President Trump did it, then it is gone. That has 
backfired on President Biden, and the polls show that. There is a 
reason President Trump is more trusted on the border than President 
Biden. We need to reinstate remain in Mexico and end President Biden's 
disastrous catch-and-release policy.

                              {time}  1115

  Finally, we must change our tone to send a clear message: Do not come 
to the U.S. illegally.
  At the start of his Presidency, President Biden promised outright 
citizenship to more than 11 million illegal immigrants. America is a 
Nation of legal immigrants, and the President's false promise was a 
slap in the face to the 2 million people who legally migrate to the 
U.S. each year the right way. We should make legal immigration easier 
and illegal immigration harder. Mr. President, this is not rocket 
science. It is simple.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues again today: What will it take for 
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come to the table to 
secure the border? We can't keep pretending the current situation is 
normal. It is the minority's move.

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