House Freedom Caucus

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for recognizing me tonight.

Mr. Speaker, we know our immigration system is broken and desperately in need of reform. No sovereign country in the world is scrutinized the way America is just for simply wanting to secure our borders.

For decades, the United States has taken in millions of immigrants. In fact, that number is about a million per year, and that is something we are going to continue to do.

Immigrants, historically, have been a major asset to the growth and prosperity of our country. However, the issue before America is not legal immigration but illegal immigration.

It is interesting to me that, throughout the years, Democrats have supported securing our borders. In 2006, the Secure Fence Act was signed into law by President Bush authorizing 700 miles of border fence and $50 billion in total maintenance. That is a far stretch from the small $5 billion, in comparison, that President Trump is asking for today.

We should remember that the Secure Fence Act passed through Congress with bold and broad Democrat support.

So in 2013, we should also remember that Senator Schumer himself sponsored a bill that invested $46 billion in border security improvements that added 700 miles of border fencing. That is $41 billion more than what President Trump is currently asking for.

So what changed, Mr. Speaker, between now and then? Simply, politics. Politics is the only thing that has changed. But, to me, securing our country's borders and making sure people feel safe should be above politics.

Our ICE agents and Border Patrol need the necessary resources to do their jobs effectively and with confidence. It is hard to plug a leak when you are working with the wrong tools. The solution is simply to shut off the water at the source.

In closing, I would pose these questions to my friends across the aisle: If now is not the time to secure our border, then when is? If not today, then when? And where do we go from here?

If we can't come together to solve a problem that both Republicans and Democrats know exists, I worry that our tribal political environment will hold the security of American citizens hostage for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my Democrat colleagues to turn back the clock and remember a time when putting the country first was more important than putting the party first.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his friendship and for his time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source