Reclaiming Our Fiscal Future

Floor Speech

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Mr. FEENSTRA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss Sarah's Law, a bicameral bill I introduced along with Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa.

Our proposal was named in honor of Sarah Root, a 21-year-old girl who, after her graduation, that night, was killed by an illegal immigrant. The illegal immigrant was drunk and drag racing. He posted bond. ICE did not detain him, and he left the country, never to be seen from ever again.

The bill would require authorities to keep illegal immigrants in custody if they have been charged with a crime that resulted in death or serious bodily injury.

I am pleased that my proposal was included in the Republican Study Committee budget. After all, budgets reflect priorities, and given the crisis at our border, it is crucial that we implement tougher immigration policies that protect Iowans and protect Americans.

Border encounters have hit an all-time high in the last two decades, with over 180,000 encounters in the month of May. Last year, we had over 23,000. Yet, President Biden's bloated $6 trillion budget proposal does not include a single cent more for homeland security.

Unlike Vice President Harris, the administration's self-appointed border czar, I went to the border. I heard directly from law enforcement officers. We need to ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs, and we need to start enacting stricter immigration and border security policies that address this crisis.

At the very least, we can all agree that neither American citizens nor illegal immigrants should ever be able to evade the law. Sarah's Law would ensure illegal immigrants cannot escape justice simply due to immigration policy loopholes.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Republican Study Committee's budget. It is a fantastic budget.

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