[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6343-S6344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Border Security
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the crisis that
we are facing today in America at our southern border.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have created the worst illegal immigrant
crisis in American history. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden removed every
successful policy that was in place during the Trump administration.
Kamala Harris and Joe Biden replaced them with policies that released
millions upon millions of illegal immigrants into our country. The
crisis, the chaos, the crime--they are all a direct result of the
terrible policies by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.
Here are the facts: More than 10 million--10 million--illegal
immigrants have flooded into our country. They have done that in just
the last 4 years with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden in the White House.
At the same time, deadly drugs like fentanyl are flowing into our
communities. Each year, tens of thousands of Americans are poisoned by
fentanyl that comes across our southern border.
Our communities in every State are being overrun and overwhelmed by
this flood of illegal immigrants.
Let's look at the horrible scenes that are developing now in Aurora,
CO, just to the south of my home State of Wyoming. This is a city where
members of violent Venezuelan gangs have turned apartment complexes
into hell holes. That is exactly what they have done. One residence
said, ``It's been a nightmare.''
So how did these gangs find themselves in that situation in that
location, and how did the people living in those communities find
themselves in this terrorizing situation? Well, according to one
report, the Harris-Biden administration, along with the city of Denver,
provided the incentives. What are the incentives? Well, Denver offered
illegal immigrants 2 months of subsidized rent. The source of the rent
money came from Democrats March 2021 reckless tax and spending spree--
$1.9 trillion.
Stop and think about that for just a second. The same law that fueled
40-year high inflation, that caused prices to go up for families all
across the country by 20 percent since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came
into office, that same bill has now incentivized the worst border
crisis in American history.
It was Vice President Harris who came and sat in that chair and cast
the critical, tie-breaking vote right here in the Senate for that
reckless spending bill. Her one single vote as Vice President, as
President of this institution, the U.S. Senate, brought record-high
prices and a recordbreaking border disaster.
[[Page S6344]]
Look, these problems spill over from the sanctuary cities like those
in Colorado, and they hit neighboring States like my home State of
Wyoming.
In Laramie County, WY, law enforcement officials say that the number
of illegal immigrants in their jails has more than doubled. One of
those jailed illegal immigrants is a suspected member of that violent
Venezuelan gang that took over the apartment complex in Colorado--a
gang that has been described as ``MS-13 on steroids.''
Make no mistake, Vice President Harris is complicit in all of this
border disaster.
Now--just, I think, today--Vice President Harris says she wants to
secure the border. New language for her. Well, let me tell you, she
hasn't done it yet. For the past 4 years, Kamala Harris has been the
second most powerful person in the world, and she was appointed by the
President to be the border czar. He said she knew how. He had full
confidence in her; she knew how to handle the problem. Well, as the
border czar, she had the power to secure the southern border and has
that power still today. Not doing it.
So let me ask again: Why hasn't it been done? Let me tell you why.
Like Joe Biden, Vice President Harris wants to smooth the flow of
illegal immigrants. Doesn't want to stop it--oh, no. Doesn't want to
stop it; wants to smooth the flow. This is an extreme position and out
of touch with the American people.
Like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris opposes the border wall. She actually
called the wall a ``stupid waste of money.'' That is what we hear from
the Vice President of the United States. That is an extreme position
compared to what the American people would like to see happen today.
Kamala Harris also said that building the wall to prevent terrorists
from entering the country was the ``height of irresponsibility.''
``[T]he height of irresponsibility'' to try to keep terrorists out of
the country. Nope. Come on in, she wants.
This again--Kamala Harris. San Francisco liberal. Extreme position.
Remember, terror suspects are exploiting our vulnerability. The
number of terror suspects that we have caught crossing the border has
risen by 3,000 percent since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took over the
Presidency and the Vice Presidency.
This administration promises amnesty for illegal immigrants. This is
an invitation. They are inviting millions upon millions of illegal
immigrants into this country. This is an extreme position compared to
what the American people want and expect from their elected officials.
What we are seeing across the country are Kamala Harris, Democrats
across the board, and sanctuary cities providing free healthcare for
illegal immigrants--another extreme position of the Democrats in the
White House.
They demand that our hard-earned taxpayer dollars pay for free
housing, free preloaded debit cards, and free cell phones for illegal
immigrants. The American public hates this. This is their taxpayer
dollars. Democrats' open border policies have cost the taxpayers
plenty. The numbers are jaw-dropping--$451 billion so far--and the
number keeps going up.
Like President Biden, Kamala Harris wants to stop deporting criminals
who are here in this country illegally. She wants to stop it. In the
past, she said illegal immigration should not be a crime. Well, once
again, she is out of touch with the American people. That is an extreme
position.
This is the truth: Kamala Harris's policies are no different than the
dangerous, disastrous, deadly policies of President Joe Biden's, who
signed 49 Executive orders in his first 100 days in office.
This is the problem that our country faces today: Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris threw open the borders, and 10 million illegal immigrants
have come on through.
When this administration stopped building the wall and ended ``Remain
in Mexico,'' Vice President Harris was right there, cheering on Joe
Biden. When Joe Biden brought back the failed policy of catch-and-
release, Vice President Harris had his back. When Joe Biden wanted to
send stimulus checks to illegal immigrants, what happened? Kamala
Harris came into this Chamber; sat in that chair; and cast the tie-
breaking vote for this radical and reckless policy of sending stimulus
checks to illegal immigrants--just giving them more and more free stuff
funded by the American taxpayers.
To add insult to injury, Kamala Harris has actually said, then: Well,
the border is secure. Nobody believes that. I don't even think she
believes it. She should know better. If she does not, that should
disqualify her from being a candidate for President or for being
President.
On September 22, Vice President Harris claimed we have a secure
border. Who is she listening to? Why didn't she go and look for
herself? Three days earlier, the illegal immigrant who murdered Laken
Riley entered our country.
It is time to close the book on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their
dangerous border policies. It is time for us to get serious about
securing the border and making our communities safer.
Senate Republicans have real solutions. It is to finish the wall; it
is to end catch-and-release; it is to restore the ``Remain in Mexico''
policy--a policy that worked. Our solution also includes deporting
illegal immigrants and stopping illegal immigrants from voting in our
elections.
So I return to the question I asked at the beginning: If Kamala
Harris wants to secure the border, why hasn't she done so yet?
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.