American Dream and Promise Act of 2021

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, last year, we finally achieved operational control of our southern border for the first time in decades. The Trump administration had made it clear that our border would be enforced, and illegal immigration dropped dramatically.

That all ended on January 20, when Joe Biden issued executive orders to stop deporting illegal immigrants, abandon the border wall, admit anyone claiming to be under 18, and rescinding the Remain in Mexico policy for asylum claims. That message has been heard loud and clear.

The Border Patrol reported more than 100,000 encounters in February alone. Think about that. That is the entire population of South Bend, Indiana, or Green Bay, Wisconsin, in a single month, and it is getting worse.

We are way beyond the debate over whether this is a border crisis. The question now is whether we have a border at all.

What is the Democrats' response? This bill promises a path to citizenship not only for 700,000 DACA recipients but millions more who illegally arrived prior to January 1, were under 19 when they arrived, and have only committed two misdemeanors.

How do they prove they qualify, Mr. Speaker? Under this bill, it means having a friend vouch for you.

Now, we all sympathize with those illegally brought here as young children years ago, and more than 200 Republicans supported legislation in the 115th Congress to give them legal status. But it included measures that secured our border and enforced our laws to discourage another generation of young people being brought here exactly as we are seeing unfold today.

Why are so many children being placed in the hands of Mexican criminal cartels and forced to suffer the 2,000-mile trail of terror to our border? Because it works.

Mr. Speaker, this bill proves the Mexican crime cartels are right: You will be admitted into our country and need only wait for the next amnesty.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source