OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Border Security

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 10, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Immigration

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Mr. BABIN. I was at the border this past weekend.

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Mr. BABIN. I certainly was.

Mr. Speaker, as a Representative from the 36th District of Texas, I made a promise to my constituents and the American people to secure the southern border, and I intend to keep my promise.

The last 2 months alone, Border Patrol agents have apprehended roughly 140,000 illegal aliens on the southwest border, which is a staggering 86 percent increase from this time last year alone. Without question, funding to build the wall is crucial, and now is our chance.

In December of 2018, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 27,000 members of family units, the highest monthly total on record, a number which has been on a steady incline for months. I have seen this with my own eyes.

Mr. Speaker, last month, I joined my Republican colleagues here in the House and voted to fully fund the government and secure money for the border wall. Regrettably, the Democrats blocked this commonsense legislation and are now unwilling to negotiate with us or the President.

The crisis at our southern border is a dire national security and humanitarian concern, and a solution must not be delayed any longer. The border encompasses approximately 2,000 miles; but with too many of those miles left open, we are hurting our border States, and, quite frankly, the entire Nation is put at risk. It is past time for the Democrats to come to the table with a serious offer so that we can move forward toward meaningful border security.

Simply put, we have very little idea who is coming across the border, what their intentions are, and we have to get a handle on this. Criminal organizations, cartels, and others who wish to harm us are easily entering our country undetected.

Indeed, 500 Texans have died at the hands of illegal criminals in Texas alone. And Houston, which I represent part of, is the number one port of entry for sex trafficking in the United States, a very dubious, indeed, record there.

I am willing to fight for this, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), for the time.

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