[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5438-H5443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FAILED BORDER POLICIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Montana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight we are going to speak about the border, the 
failed policies, and the false security that has been created under the 
Biden-Harris administration.
  It is a target-rich environment, I will tell you. We have many 
examples of the problems that have been created and the policies that 
created those problems before us.
  Keep in mind we have examples of what is also to do right, not 
theories, but we have hard examples of what to do to secure our border 
that were implemented under the Trump administration.

  Yes, now we have examples of what not to do as we look at the current 
wide-open border and the massive problems that were created under the 
Biden-Harris administration.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose) my 
distinguished colleague, to kick this off.
  Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, Vice President Kamala Harris' tenure as border czar has 
been a complete and absolute failure. For

[[Page H5439]]

the folks who claim she was never in charge of the border, I will read 
President Biden's own words from March of 2021.
  He specifically assigned Vice President Harris with the task of 
``stemming the migration to our southern border.''
  I understand the White House would like to rewrite that bit of 
history, but a simple Google search will show that it isn't just House 
Republicans calling her the border czar. She was widely referred to as 
such by the mainstream media at the time.
  Since her appointment, Harris has gone to the border only once. Even 
worse, she never spoke to either of the past two chiefs of Border 
Patrol.
  While the Vice President was failing to meet her new responsibility, 
our Commander in Chief was busy undoing the successful border policies 
of President Trump.
  Here is where that has gotten us. More than 10 million people have 
tried to cross into the United States illegally in less than 4 years. 
More than 52,000 illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds have 
tried to enter our Nation illegally. Those are just the ones we know 
about.
  Keep in mind more than 2 million people managed to evade Border 
Patrol under this administration. That is more got-aways under Biden-
Harris than in the previous decade combined.
  This is a direct result of open-border policies and a refusal to 
uphold the immigration laws already on the books.
  In July alone, there was a daily average of 3,300 encounters at the 
border. Former President Obama's DHS Secretary noted a few years ago 
that any more than 1,000 encounters per day overwhelms the system.
  Mr. Speaker, the border crisis is far from over, and it continues to 
threaten our national security. In the last 2 years, Border Patrol 
officials have seized an average of 2,000 pounds of fentanyl every 
month coming across the border, enough to kill 458 million people. The 
real question is: How much fentanyl did they fail to seize that is 
currently killing our citizens?
  More than 350 people who are on the terror watch list have been 
stopped trying to cross the southern border.
  A recent report revealed that 99 of them were released into the 
country after being stopped at the border.
  It was also widely reported this summer that more than 50 illegal 
immigrants with ties to ISIS were on the loose after being released 
from custody, all of this on Vice President Kamala Harris' watch.
  This week, House Republicans will bring to the floor two pieces of 
critical legislation. The first is a bill to ensure that any illegal 
immigrant who is convicted of a sex offense or crimes involving 
stalking, child abuse, and neglect are deported.
  The second is a piece of legislation that claims to end the free 
hotels, healthcare, and cash given to hundreds of thousands of illegal 
immigrants being housed in our Nation's major cities.
  It is well past time to stop incentivizing illegal immigration. It is 
time to support what the American people overwhelmingly support, 
immigration done the legal way.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, you can see there is a long list of problems, and we 
have many speakers here who want to speak to those problems this 
evening.
  It is critically important for the American people to hear that not 
only do we identify what these problems are, but the Republicans have 
been bringing solutions forward to address these problems.
  We have been bringing solutions that we know will work. They are not, 
again, theories. These are issues that have been addressed, and we know 
that the solutions that we are recommending have been utilized by the 
Trump administration and are extremely effective.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Edwards).
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituents in western 
North Carolina to highlight the dire situation at our southern border 
and to advocate for the enforcement of our Nation's immigration laws.
  During his time in office, the Biden administration continues to 
break records but not in a good way. Last month, Customs and Border 
Protection seized close to 1,700 pounds of fentanyl at the border, a 30 
percent increase from just July.
  Over 200,000 Americans have now died from illegal drugs being 
smuggled across the southern border, and this number only continues to 
increase. This also comes after 3 years of broken border records and 
overwhelmed Border Patrol agents.
  Some of the first executive actions taken by President Biden undid 
the Trump administration's attempts to get the situation under control.
  Biden threw open the border. Whether he did it for political reasons 
or through sheer incompetence, it is costing Americans half a trillion 
dollars every year.
  Now, we have fentanyl flowing across the border, courtesy of the 
Mexican cartels, tearing apart families and the very fabric of our 
communities in the North Carolina mountains.
  Our border is being overrun with lawbreaking migrants, overpowered by 
drugs, and overwhelmed by what this is costing our Nation.

  By conservative estimates, more than 2 million illegal immigrants 
have been turned loose and are now unaccounted for in America, and that 
doesn't include those who managed to give Border Patrol agents the slip 
or the millions who have been living here illegally for years.
  These are not small numbers, Mr. Speaker. This is mass migration into 
our country, facilitated by our very own President.
  What is the Biden-Harris solution? How does President Biden and his 
appointed border czar plan to solve a problem that they manufactured?
  Last month, a DHS report found nearly 530,000 individuals were flown 
in and paroled by the Biden administration under the error-plagued mass 
parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, a 
program that was previously paused due to mass fraud and abuse. You 
can't make this up, folks.
  During my time in Congress, I have written, cosponsored, and helped 
pass legislation in the House to secure the southern border and end 
this administration's radical and dangerous border policies.
  I was proud to have cosponsored and voted for H.R. 2, the Secure the 
Border Act, which is the strongest border security package passed by 
the House in American history.

                              {time}  2000

  Senate Democrats and President Biden could take real, concrete steps 
to solve this migration crisis, and address everything from court 
backlogs to the trafficking of unaccompanied children if they would 
just get behind H.R. 2.
  Why are the Democrats so adamantly opposed to commonsense legislation 
to protect Americans and close the southern border, you might ask?
  One of my Democratic colleagues apparently said the quiet part out 
loud. In no uncertain terms, she said that she wanted more illegal 
immigrants to come into our country to give liberal sanctuary cities a 
higher population for congressional districting and the electoral 
college.
  She said: ``I need more people in my district just for redistricting 
purposes,'' in reference to illegal immigrants coming in droves to New 
York.
  To solve the problem once and for all, I introduced H.R. 7109, the 
Equal Representation Act, which allows a very basic question to be 
asked in the U.S. Census: Are you a U.S. citizen?
  Given all the other information the government collects during a 
census, this is a very reasonable thing that we should know, especially 
as the census count determines congressional apportionment, and only 
U.S. citizens are allowed to vote.
  My bill prohibits anyone who is not a United States citizen from 
counting toward population totals that determine the number of seats 
each State has in the U.S. House of Representatives. This would go an 
incredibly long way to helping us determine who is actually in our 
country, which is not an unreasonable thing to want to know.
  Knowing who is in our Nation and keeping out those who are trying to 
break our laws and brazenly waltz across our borders is basic national 
security. Our own President is failing at

[[Page H5440]]

the task of keeping this Nation safe and secure.
  I ask my colleagues from across the aisle, and this administration, 
to work with Republicans to pass this commonsense legislation that 
actually goes to fix the problem.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina 
for participating tonight and helping us to shed some light on all the 
problems that have been caused by this wide-open border that has been 
created by the Biden-Harris administration.
  I yield next to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), my good 
friend, a fellow duck hunter, and chairman of the Natural Resources 
Committee.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Montana for 
yielding. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), my dear 
friend and colleague, another Representative from Arkansas for joining 
me here at the well.
  Mr. Speaker, I am here today to honor and remember the remarkable 
life of my constituent, Jennifer Ann Morton, a beloved daughter, 
sister, aunt, and friend whose life was senselessly taken far too 
young.
  While I did not have the opportunity to meet Jennifer myself, I 
understand she was a warm-hearted woman with unwavering principles. 
Born and raised in central Arkansas, Jennifer attended the University 
of the Ozarks for her undergraduate education. She later attended UAMS, 
where she obtained her license in respiratory therapy to pursue her 
passion for taking care of children as a respiratory therapist in the 
Infant Toddler Unit at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Her dedication to 
her work and her love for the children she cared for were unparalleled.
  For nearly 20 years, Jennifer was a loyal supporter of the Texarkana 
Baptist Children's Home. The team at Baptist Kids knew Miss Jennifer as 
a compassionate and empathetic contributor to their mission, someone 
who never hesitated to support Arkansas children. With each donation, 
whether monetary or gifts for the kids, she always sent a personal and 
intentional letter to express her gratitude and care for the folks at 
Baptist Kids.
  Her tender and caring heart was evident through her love for her 
nephews. She loved to spoil them. On every single holiday, she would 
always buy them matching pajamas.
  Friends, this was a woman who devoted her life to caring for 
children. Her dedication was such that she would often leave work after 
a long shift and go to the store to buy new clothes for her patients, 
ensuring they were always comfortable and cared for.
  However, above all, Jennifer always put God first. Everything else 
came second, no matter what.
  Just 10 days ago, at only 48 years young, Jennifer's life was 
tragically and senselessly taken. Early in the morning on September 8, 
an illegal immigrant crashed into Jennifer while recklessly driving 
drunk through Little Rock.
  Maynor Herrera, the man responsible for her death, was found fleeing 
the scene of the crash and was apprehended by the Arkansas State 
Police. He was charged with negligent homicide, DUI, driving without a 
license, weapons violations, and more. We later learned that he had 
already been deported from the U.S. in 2018. Due to our current chaotic 
immigration and border policies, there is no telling when he reentered, 
how he evaded Border Patrol, or how long he had been living in 
Arkansas.
  This tragedy should have never happened. He should have never been in 
our country to begin with. The Biden-Harris administration's open-
border policies are allowing thousands of men like Maynor Herrera to 
enter our country every single day.
  We are failing our country. We need to step up, secure the border, 
and put an end to this chaos before any more innocent Americans lose 
their lives because of failed policies.
  Before I close, I would like to recognize the brave Arkansas State 
Troopers who quickly responded on the scene on September 8: Sergeant 
Dakotah Bailey and Trooper Hunter Glover were the first to arrive on 
the scene. Corporal Benjamin Ibarra and Trooper Chance Fortune also 
responded.
  Sergeant Bailey detained Herrera as he fled the crash, and Trooper 
Glover notified Jennifer's father, Jimmy, what had happened. I spoke 
with Jimmy just Monday, and he told me that Trooper Glover was kind, 
patient, and respectful in his actions that day, characteristics that 
the family will undoubtedly remember. Arkansans are blessed to have law 
enforcement officers who lead with respect and dignity above all else.
  Mr. Speaker, Jennifer Morton's legacy will never be forgotten. We 
will remember her as a God-fearing and compassionate woman who cared 
deeply for her family and dedicated her life to caring for children. 
May God bless Jennifer's loved ones as they mourn her loss, a life 
taken far too soon.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for 
his remarks. I think that this reflects very clearly on the losses that 
our country is suffering. It is much, much more than monetary 
consideration. We are losing lives every single day. We also have to 
acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been lost from 
fentanyl overdoses.
  Mr. Speaker, we have many of our colleagues lined up here to speak. 
Right now I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), my 
very good friend.
  Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the vice chair for yielding, first 
of all, and I thank his dedication to this country and his friendship 
to me, and he will be missed. He is a good dude.
  Mr. Speaker, the State Department has been giving out cash vouchers 
to illegal aliens. Now, imagine this. There are veterans living, 
literally, under bridges in the district I represent, yet they are 
giving folks that come over our border yours and mine hard-earned tax 
dollars. We don't know who the heck they are.
  They have never been able to provide an actual number or amount. That 
is by design, Mr. Speaker. I have heard it stated, our country has been 
flooded with 10 million, 11 million, but I think it is probably closer 
to 15 million illegals in the last almost 4 years, and nobody knows 
exactly how many. Again, that is by design.
  You add to that list the answers we don't have. Not only do we not 
know how much they have received in assistance, dadgummit, we don't 
even know how many people have received this assistance. The White 
House will not give us this information. We have all had the phone 
calls and the emails and the letters. We have seen the pictures of the 
buses unloading folks when they drop these folks, illegals, out into 
our districts, and no one can tell us who the heck they are, where they 
came from, or if they are expected to return anywhere. All you can 
count on is more tax dollars being spent.
  We are $35 trillion in debt. Every 100 days we add another dadgum 
trillion dollars, and neither party has a plan to pay it back. You 
cannot put a pin down on how much money we have doled out. We have got 
some serious problems.
  Caravans travel fast and word of mouth travels even faster. These 
people know about the benefits that they are going to get before they 
even start their journey. They are more educated at it than, I daresay, 
any State Department official that is supposed to know what the heck is 
going on.
  We are incentivizing illegal immigration, which means we are 
incentivizing breaking the law. Everybody knows it is wrong. They know 
it is wrong. We know it is wrong, but they are willing to forgo it. 
They know these folks are going to be voting. They know they are going 
to add to their rolls. One way or the other, they are going to get a 
driver's license, and then they are going to go to another State, and 
they are going to present that driver's license, and they are going to 
get a voter registration card, or they are going to do it within their 
own State.
  The abject failure to secure our border is severely straining our 
communities. I can remember when I was mayor of Knox County, we had one 
school that had over a dozen different languages, and the population of 
that school was under 300. We are required to provide services for 
those children. Now, dadgummit, it is not the kids' fault. It is the 
breakdown of this town, the breakdown of the system that has caused 
this problem.
  The people who actually pay taxes in this country are the ones who 
are paying for this. Our healthcare system, education, social safety 
nets, et cetera, are all breaking down. We don't even

[[Page H5441]]

know what people are buying with this cash that they are getting or 
where they are sending it. There is no way of telling.
  Does it make it back to the cartels? I suspect it does. Who the heck 
knows? Nobody knows. Our State Department has a terrible track record 
under Secretary Blinken. That track record is bought and paid for with 
the American citizens' tax dollars. It is not in my notes, but it is on 
my heart. One thing I think we ought to remember if we read our 
Scripture: Jesus was talking, and he said, how you treat the least of 
these is how you treat me. Those 300,000-plus children that have come 
over our dadgum border, Mr. Speaker, nobody knows where they are, they 
don't know what hell those kids are in. I think our minds don't have to 
wander very far to know what conditions they are living in if some of 
them are even still living. We will pay. God will rebuke this Nation 
for that.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for 
his remarks. I certainly appreciate him being here this evening, again, 
shedding light on these massive, massive terrible problems that this 
open border has created. It is much more than monetary costs to the 
taxpayers across this Nation. There are lives that are lost and there 
are lives that are suffering as a direct result of it.
  Next I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Arkansas (Mr. 
Hill), my good friend. They have a showing this evening.
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Montana for 
yielding to me.
  I have to start out, Mr. Speaker, and thank my friend Bruce 
Westerman, my colleague in the Arkansas delegation, for paying tribute 
on this tragedy that we witnessed in our central Arkansas area of a 
life lost of an honorable citizen doing the Lord's work, caring for 
kids every day, who tragically lost her life due to the drunk driving 
by an illegal alien who crossed our border more than one time without 
any repercussions.

  I thank Congressman Westerman for his words in memory of Jennifer 
Morton. I join him with thoughts and prayers for her family, for her 
friends, for the loss of a skilled therapist at Arkansas Children's 
Hospital. However, Mr. Speaker, this is just emblematic of what we are 
confronting in this country: deaths like that, deaths from fentanyl, 
and massive human trafficking.
  The Mexican drug cartels are making, truly, billions of dollars from 
those human trafficking fees of coaching, urging, pushing migrants 
across the southwest border of the United States to the point that 
there are millions entering our country illegally.
  I thank my friend, Mr. Rosendale, for yielding me the time. My 
concern tonight that I want to highlight is the number of these that 
are potential terrorists in our country.

                              {time}  2015

  Just last year alone, 1 year, 169 individuals were caught on the 
terrorist screening database. That is more apprehensions, Mr. Speaker, 
than in the last 5 years combined. Isn't that an indication of just how 
open this border is?
  The question is: Where are they once they cross into our country? 
What has become of them? They were encountered by Customs and Border 
Protection, they were encountered by TSA at an airport, but what has 
become of them? Those of us on the House Intelligence Committee and on 
the Homeland Security Committee have been tirelessly trying to get the 
answers to those most basic questions.
  Since last fall, Congress has been requesting information from the 
executive branch to better understand the severity that this threat 
poses.
  In my judgment, Mr. Speaker, it is a clear and present danger to our 
country, but how do we gauge that threat? How do we gauge the severity 
of it posed by known and suspected terrorists who have crossed our open 
southwest border at or between the ports of entry? Literally, with 
millions of got-aways, how are we supposed to extrapolate that risk? Is 
it greater because they obviously were avoiding detection, or should it 
be a ratio similar to what we witness today when they are encountered?
  On numerous recent occasions, FBI Director Chris Wray has stated in 
Congressional testimony his concern about our open border and the 
increased threat of terrorism. He suggested that the threat of attack 
against Americans in the United States is at ``a whole other level,'' 
that is his quote, and that he sees ``blinking lights everywhere.'' 
That is his quote, Mr. Speaker, but it is from last fall, a year ago.
  Actions speak louder than words and why his warnings have our 
attention. The executive branch's lack of coordinated, fused action, in 
my judgment, contradicts what he said.
  During the annual threat assessment hearing last March, in open 
forum, I pressed Mr. Wray on this commonsense question: Where are these 
individuals? How have they been handled? Who knows about it?
  Mr. Wray at that time could not answer, and to date, the FBI's 
responses have been less than satisfactory to the Members of Congress 
on the House Homeland Security Committee and Intelligence Committee.
  The information is trickling in, but it is not the comprehensive, 
coordinated response with actions that I believe, in my judgment, our 
Members are seeking.
  House Intelligence Chairman  Mike Turner and House Homeland Security 
Chairman Mark Green have joined me in pressing for these answers. We 
led a letter in April to the Government Accountability Office to review 
the process of identifying which terrorist watch list individuals are 
trying to come into our country and where they are once they are 
released. What is the policy there?
  I have done more by adding language in the fiscal 2024 Intelligence 
Authorization Act to require Homeland Security and the FBI to regularly 
brief the Intelligence Committee on these policies, on these 
procedures, on just how these encounters, these individuals, are 
treated and how they are coordinated.
  President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their agency heads bear 
the ultimate dereliction of duty and need to be reminded that border 
security isn't a partisan issue, Mr. Speaker. Border security is a 
national security issue.
  Here we are just after the recent 23rd anniversary of 9/11, and it 
serves as a stark reminder that we need to immediately address where 
these terrorists potentially are in our country and ensure that a day 
like 9/11 never happens again.


                    Congratulating Dr. Margie Scott

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Margie Scott, 
the medical director of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare 
System, on a happy and healthy retirement.
  Dr. Scott has devoted 26 years to serving veterans at the Central 
Arkansas VA, including 8 years as the director.
  Dr. Scott orchestrated the challenging mission of providing care to 
nearly 70,000 veterans each year with an innovative and creative 
approach that has, over the years, modernized how the Central Arkansas 
VA operates.
  The positive impact she has had is unquestionable, and the standard 
of care that she has set, I hope, will endure for many years to come.
  I thank Dr. Scott for her steadfast commitment and service to our 
veterans. All of us in central Arkansas appreciate her tireless efforts 
that have led to veterans receiving the healthcare they rightfully 
deserve.
  I congratulate Dr. Scott and wish her the best for a happy 
retirement.


  Recognizing the 19th Airlift Wing's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize members of the 19th 
Airlift Wing's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team for their efforts in 
securing dangerous military explosives during a recent traffic incident 
on I-40 in central Arkansas.
  Based out of Little Rock Air Force Base, the 19th Airlift Wing 
supports the largest C-130 transport fleet in the world, providing 
humanitarian relief to victims of disasters and essential supplies to 
troops in the heart of enemy territory.
  Following a tragic accident involving a tractor-trailer carrying 
military explosives, the 19th Airlift Wing's EOD team sprang into 
action, along with our State's first responders, to secure the 
hazardous cargo and move it away from civilian populations while also 
restoring use of the highway, in short order.
  I was proud to meet with the airmen during my recent visit to Little 
Rock

[[Page H5442]]

Air Force Base and thank them for their bravery during this incident. 
It was truly impressive. Hats off to these brave airmen from Team 
Little Rock. All of Arkansas is proud of their efforts and service to 
our country.


                        Recognizing Peggy McCall

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Peggy McCall for the 
nearly two decades of devoted work with Miracle League of Arkansas, an 
organization that provides opportunities for children with disabilities 
to play America's pastime.
  While working at KIDsource Therapy, Peggy realized that children with 
special needs and their families should be able to make the same kind 
of memories at the ballpark that she had with her own children.
  She partnered with Rotary Club of Little Rock's Club 99 in the spring 
of 2005 to bring a Miracle League field to central Arkansas, and that 
field hosted its first season that next year in 2006.
  Since then, Peggy has been the cornerstone of Miracle League of 
Arkansas and currently serves as executive director of the 
organization.
  In honor of nearly two decades of work to create unforgettable 
memories, Miracle League's field has a new name: Peggy McCall Field.
  Peggy exemplifies passion and excellence for her work in our 
community, and all of Arkansas is better off because of her efforts.


           Congratulating Lieutenant General Jonathan Stubbs

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Lieutenant General 
Jonathan Stubbs on becoming the new director of the Army National 
Guard.
  Lieutenant General Stubbs is the first Arkansan and National 
Guardsman to be elevated to the rank of the Lieutenant General and the 
first to be assigned as the director the Army National Guard.
  Governor Sanders had named General Stubbs as her adjunct general of 
the Arkansas National Guard.
  General Stubbs' quality, his character, his work ethic, and his 
leadership sharpened as our own TAG and are now fully recognized 
nationally with this great honor of leading the Army National Guard 
across our Nation.
  Throughout his 27 years spent serving the Arkansas National Guard, 
Lieutenant General Stubbs has demonstrated the extraordinary ability to 
inspire and lead those under his command.
  Whether it is at home or deployed in defense of America's 
Constitution and interests, Lieutenant General Stubbs has exemplified 
dedication, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to our country.
  Lieutenant General Stubbs knows what it takes to lead our brave men 
and women in uniform. Though we will miss him and his leadership at 
home in Arkansas, we look forward to the now impressive, positive 
impact that he will make in this crucial role in our national defense 
here in Washington.


                   Commending George H. Dunklin, Jr.

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the exceptional work 
of a friend and great Arkansan, George H. Dunklin, Jr.
  George has worked over the past four decades with conservation 
efforts to benefit Arkansas and the Natural State.
  George has worked with Ducks Unlimited as an area chairman, 
president, chairman of the board of Ducks Unlimited, and has left a 
lasting mark on quality habitat preservation efforts for decades to 
come. He also has devoted time to serving as chairman of our Arkansas 
Game and Fish Commission.
  George has led a life of service to the people of Arkansas and its 
wildlife and their habitat. All of us from the Natural State thank him 
for his lifetime of hard work and tremendous dedication to waterfowl. 
Arkansas' reputation as a world-class place for outdoor recreation and 
field sports stands taller thanks to the efforts of citizens like 
George.


                     Congratulating Steve Finnegan

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend Steve 
Finnegan on his first year of his broadcasting debut with his own radio 
show on 102.9 KARN in central Arkansas.
  Steve is a passionate and gracious host who always strives to tell 
the truth and make sure that Arkansas voices are heard each Saturday 
from 12 to 3 central time.
  Prior to his newfound radio career, Steve proudly served our Nation 
in the United States Army, helped lead the American Legion in Arkansas, 
and in the early 2010s, was CEO of Green Blue Environmental, a service-
disabled, veteran-owned small business, for over a decade.
  Over the past year, he has taken an impressive veteran and small 
business owner background and brought his voice and expertise to the 
people of Arkansas and beyond across KARN's Arkansas signal and its 
streaming reach.
  Steve Finnegan is a dedicated patriot both in his service and love of 
country and love of our great State of Arkansas and her people.
  I congratulate Steve on an outstanding accomplishment. I look forward 
to the show's continued success in the years ahead.


               Recognizing Master Sergeant Michael Hester

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Master Sergeant 
Michael Hester, a central Arkansan and member of the Arkansas National 
Guard.
  This past August, Master Sergeant Hester was part of a six-person, 
all-National Guard rifle team that won the Dogs of War Trophy, a 
national trophy for marksmanship excellence.
  Winning this revered trophy requires incredible skill and teamwork 
from all members of the team. Sergeant Hester served as a gunsmith and 
machinist for the team, playing a crucial role in the National Guard's 
first Dogs of War Trophy in almost four decades.
  I speak for all central Arkansans when I say how proud we are of 
Master Sergeant Hester and his teammates for this significant 
achievement.


                      Recognizing Weston Wakefield

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Weston Wakefield, an 
Arkansas teen golfer representing central Arkansas at the 2024 PURE 
Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California.
  Weston started golfing when he was 8 years old and is a member of 
First Tee, a youth development organization that teaches life skills to 
kids and teens through golf.

  The PURE Insurance Championship is in its 21st year and brings teens 
from First Tee chapters all over the country out to world famous Pebble 
Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Golf Course for the PGA TOUR Champions 
Tournament later this month.
  Weston will be competing against 79 other teens from across the 
country for the pro-junior title. We wish him all the best luck in this 
tournament and will be sure to watch his continued success.

                              {time}  2030


                      Recognizing Curtis Ferguson

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Curtis 
Ferguson of Benton, Arkansas.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On September 18, 2024, page H5442, in the third column, the 
following appeared: RECOGNIZING CRAIG FERGUSON Mr. HILL. Mr. 
Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Curtis Ferguson
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: RECOGNIZING 
CURTIS FERGUSON Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the late Curtis Ferguson


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  Mr. Ferguson's big personality and civic leadership left a big 
impression on everyone he met. He was truly larger than life.
  Curtis passed away on June 16. Whether meeting Curtis in business, at 
church, or civic activities, you were smiling and glad he was helping. 
His family said that he had unrivaled work ethic and a big vision to 
match. He used these amazing character traits to create his own 
company, Ferguson's Furniture, and encouraged his family's 
entrepreneurial successes.
  Curtis always had time for his family and his grandchildren. They 
will always remember their special trips with him and their learning 
experiences.
  I am honored to have represented such an amazing self-made man, and I 
am glad I can help celebrate his life and commitment to Arkansas, 
Saline County, and Benton. We are all better off for this committed 
citizen and fun-loving business leader.


                      Congratulating Heide Harrell

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my dear friend, 
Heide Harrell, on her nomination to be the next chair of the board of 
directors of the Public Relations Society of America. If elected, she 
would be the first Arkansan to lead the PRSA.
  I had the privilege of working alongside Heide as she served for 5 
years as the communication and marketing officer at my former company, 
Delta Trust and Bank. She serves as the director for communications for 
Central Arkansas Water, a metropolitan water system that serves over a 
half million residents.
  Heide has more than 20 years of communication and marketing 
experience,

[[Page H5443]]

and just last year, she received the Public Relations Society of 
America's Crystal Award for her significant contributions to the PR 
profession.
  Heide exemplifies passion and excellence in her communications work 
and beyond, and I know she will excel if she is elected to this 
national role.
  I congratulate Heide. All her friends, her former coworkers, and her 
current coworkers are very proud of this accomplishment.


                     Open Border Is Security Threat

  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for 
joining us this evening, helping us to shed some light on the problems 
associated with the wide-open border, and I think that we can see that 
the people of Arkansas are very fortunate to have him representing 
them. It sounds like he has a lot of very, very good neighbors to keep 
him here in office. We appreciate the work that he does.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Montana has 18 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, this wide-open border is a national 
security threat. It is much more than a monetary problem that has been 
placed upon the taxpayers across the United States. Somewhere in the 
neighborhood of $150 billion to $500 billion a year is being taken out 
of the revenue that we should be spending on our veterans, that we 
should be spending on our own citizens, and it is being spent on 
illegal immigrants as they come into our country.
  Everyone is always striving to find a better place. They want to have 
more opportunities for their family, for their children, for their 
grandchildren. We hear about the Dreamers. We hear about the Dreamers 
all the time. Guess what? American children and citizens have dreams, 
too.
  My children have dreams of what they would like to accomplish in this 
country. My grandchildren have dreams of what they would like to 
accomplish and what they see that this country could be, and we are 
stripping away all of those dreams when we continue to leave this 
border wide open.
  I have grave concerns about not only the millions of people who have 
come in here illegally that we have had encounters with but, as has 
been touched upon this evening, I have grave concerns about the several 
million people who have come in as got-aways and have not had any 
encounters with any law enforcement whatsoever.
  What kind of problems can they cause to our infrastructure? What kind 
of problems can they cause to our rail systems, to our water systems, 
to our sewer systems, to our power grid?
  Why is it that when it is so easy to sneak into our country, to walk 
in, to be greeted on the border of Texas, to be greeted on the border 
of California, and be given new clothes, be given a cell phone, be 
given transportation to virtually any place in this country that you 
want and some traveling money to go with it--what kind of criminal do 
you have to be to actually sneak into our country and what plans do you 
have to cause problems?
  What strain is it causing to our school systems? How about the human 
trafficking, the human suffering that is taking place with the people 
who are forced into the sex trade day after day? We know that it is 
happening.
  The hundreds of thousands of children that are completely unaccounted 
for, where have they been sold? Where have they been transported to? 
What kind of hell are they living in right now? How many of them will 
be just lost and end up taking their own lives because they cannot 
endure it any longer?
  What about the introduction of diseases that we haven't seen for 
decades that are showing up on our streets and in our schools, coming 
directly from the illegal aliens who are coming into our country?
  How about the suppression of wages and the problems that is causing 
for our labor community? We are keeping the wages down. People ask, why 
can't we just increase the minimum wage? Because the market is so 
flooded with people who are willing to hire illegal aliens that we 
cannot get those wages up.
  Then, the suffering and the families that lose loved ones every 
single day--about 100,000 lives a year are lost in this country due to 
fentanyl overdoses that we know are coming directly from the southern 
border. This body, this body right here, is going to have to do 
something about it because the administration, the Biden-Harris 
administration, has demonstrated they will not do anything about it.

  We have passed H.R. 2, and I am told that it is the most 
comprehensive border security and immigration legislation that has ever 
come through here. We passed that, and it is over in the Senate, 
waiting for Chuck Schumer to do something with it.
  We passed the SAVE Act. We have heard so much about it for the last 
couple of weeks and how it is going to straighten out and make sure 
that we don't have illegals voting in our elections. We passed it in 
July, and it sits on Chuck Schumer's desk, waiting for some kind of 
action.
  The only thing that remains for us, the only thing that is left for 
Congress to do, is to use the power of the purse strings that we were 
granted by the Constitution that we continually hear about.
  Continuing resolutions prohibit us from doing our job. Our job is to 
pass appropriations bills and to transparently and properly fund 
government. Continuing resolutions simply continue funding at levels 
that most of us voted against and on policies that most of us voted 
against. It is not the way to run government.
  It continues to fund the very agencies that cause problems in our 
Nation and that have been weaponized against our citizens. They are 
literally growing larger bureaucracies they are using to attack 
American citizens, all the alphabet agencies: the ATF, FBI, IRS.
  We must reclaim our authority and utilize the appropriations process 
as called for in the Budget Act of 1974, and thereby fund government in 
a transparent and responsible fashion. If not, we will see a 
continuation of these disastrous policies and an accumulation of the 
ever-growing debt, which now exceeds $35 trillion.
  Mr. Speaker, we must do this, and we can do this, but we have to 
stand up and declare that we are going to do this. They are tough 
decisions for very difficult problems, but that is what we signed up 
for, and I am here to make sure that it happens.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________