Congressman Keller, House Oversight and Reform Republicans Demand Hearing with DHS and HHS Officials on the Biden Administration's Failed Border Policies

Statement

Today, Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) joined House Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member James Comer (KY-01), Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06), and House Oversight and Reform Committee Republicans in sending a fourth letter to Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-12) demanding a hearing on the Biden administration's border security and immigration policies. The letter also requests officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services to participate and provide insight into agency efforts to secure the border.

"The Biden Administration's release policies only exacerbate the crisis at our southwest border. Month after month, we witness record levels of encounters, overwhelming our hardworking Border Patrol agents and negatively impacting border communities. There were over two million encounters of illegal border crossers since January 2021. This doesn't include the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants that likely evaded U.S. Border Patrol," wrote the lawmakers.

"Given this reality, it is unacceptable that Committee Democrats have failed to hold a single hearing on the Biden Administration's immigration and border security policies. We renew our request for a public and in-person hearing with witnesses from the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- Office of Refugee Resettlement," the lawmakers continued.

Read the full letter here.

On the letter, Congressman Keller made the following statement:

"Like we have seen in Pennsylvania with illegal aliens being flown in during the middle of the night, President Biden's failed border policies have made every state a border state. In 2019, Chairwoman Maloney held a hearing on border security when President Trump was in office. Now, with over two million border apprehensions in the past year, she refuses to take on this important issue, standing in the way of the Oversight and Reform Committee doing its job on behalf of the American people. I will continue to press for a hearing with agency officials about the policies that must be put in place to secure the border and stop the transport of illegal aliens throughout communities in America."

Background:

Despite several requests from Congressman Keller and Committee Republicans, Chairwoman Maloney has refused to hold a full committee hearing on securing the southern border.

March 4, 2021: Congressman Keller and Oversight Republicans first called on Chairwoman Maloney to hold a hearing on the border crisis.

March 25, 2021: Congressman Keller and Oversight Republicans sent a follow up letter to Chairwoman Maloney requesting a hearing on the border crisis.

June 2, 2021: Congressman Keller and Oversight Republicans sent a third letter to Chairwoman Maloney demanding a hearing on the border crisis.

Source