Cloture Motion

Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, in April, more than 234,000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border. This is an alarming number, and it is the highest monthly total in 22 years.

We have a humanitarian, public health, and national security crisis happening at the border. The Department of Homeland Security is bracing for an even bigger surge in the weeks and months to come, with the possibility--the estimates of 18,000 new people showing up every single day.

The Biden administration continues to be absent in this crisis, and instead of offering constructive policies, they are removing ones that are helping prevent even more people from entering our country.

Last week, the court made the decision to require title 42 to remain in place. The reality of ending it would create an even greater border emergency. Yet the Biden administration is appealing the court's decision.

A recent POLITICO-Harvard poll found that 55 percent of Americans oppose ending this title 42 prohibition. President Biden and Vice President Harris have refused to take any leadership on this issue. Not only have they attempted to repeal title 42; President Biden's first order of business after taking office was to repeal nearly every immigration policy of the previous administration.

Repealing policies like title 42 without any plan of action will leave our border agents with an unmanageable task of apprehending, vetting, and documenting hundreds of thousands of migrants while trying to stop drug and human trafficking.

In my conversations with border agents, they describe just how hard a task they have. The cartels have learned that flooding the border with migrants provides a distraction that affords them a better chance of successfully bringing drugs across the border. It is no wonder that fentanyl seizures at the southern border increased 48 percent in April 2022 from the previous year of April 2021.

Our border agents and officers are being asked to be caretakers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and so much more. They have a tireless and thankless job. I visited the border in April of last year to meet with the Border Patrol, the DEA, and the FBI and to hear firsthand about how the crisis affected their operations. They shared how handling a large surge of migrants has made it extremely challenging to carry out their mission to stop and disrupt transitional criminal organizations from drug trafficking.

These agents were sounding the alarm in April of 2021 when border encounters totaled 178,000. Now, compare that to the 234,000 migrants crossing the border in April of this year.

I have consistently worked to increase resources to our Border Patrol agents. We must prioritize additional border security measures that include a physical barrier and investments in new technologies. We must also enforce our immigration laws and work to reform our immigration system so that we reward those who follow the law and disincentivize illegal crossings.

While title 42 will remain for now, the Biden administration plans to continue to fight this ruling and has almost zero constructive plans to help improve the crisis at the southern border.

One thing is for certain, our Border Patrol agents are doing an incredible job. And I want them to know they are supported in the U.S. Senate, and we thank them for their service our Nation. recognizing C.W. Porubsky Grocery and Meats

Mr. President, today I recognize a Kansas business that has served Topeka, our State capital city, for more than 75 years with hot bowls of chili, cold-cut sandwiches, spicy pickles, and warm conversations.

To someone from out of town, Porubsky's Grocery and Meats doesn't seem like much, but to railroad workers, Topeka locals, and legislators from the statehouse who frequent Porubsky's, it was the best place in town to grab a delicious meal and receive a friendly welcome.

Opened in 1947 by Katie Porubsky and her son Charlie Porubsky, C.W. Porubsky Grocery and Meats was an iconic restaurant in Topeka and had fans around the country. While the grocery store portion was originally the driving force behind the business, it is best known for being a spot to meet folks for lunch.

Gourmet magazine summed it up as well as anyone when it stated that ``Porubsky's is not just a place to eat. It is a destination in itself.'' Charlie Porubsky's sons, Matthew, Charlie Jr., and Mark, alongside the Porubsky daughters, Cecelia Pierson and Teresa Thomas, have kept this business alive and have made their homes in Topeka.

Over the years, the restaurant has developed a reputation of having some of the most delicious chili in the area. The start of chili season is a day their loyal customers look forward to year in and year out.

My personal experience with Porubsky's dates back to my time in the Kansas Legislature. Several of my fellow legislators and I would make the trek to Porubsky's during legislative breaks. Meeting from January through June meant that we had at least 3 full months to truly enjoy Porubsky's hot pickles and spicy chili. With meats and cheese trays displayed, the restaurant was a warm respite from the cold and a welcome break from our political and governmental dealings.

Even today, as I travel across Kansas, I have a habit of altering my plans so that I can have a ham salad sandwich with three slices of cheese and a cold Coke at Porubsky's and enjoy the warm family hospitality. When my flight from DC to Kansas at the end of the week lands early, I have the chance, during that 2-hour drive home, to make the trek across the Kansas River and up to North Topeka to go to Porubsky's. And I will find wonderful people, great food, and a sense that I am home, where all the talk is not about politics and not all the Washington, DC, insider conversation; it just feels like you are around real people and real Kansans.

While Porubsky's and many family-owned establishments like it lack the bells and whistles of nationwide chains, the underlying quality that truly matters is the collection of people it takes to make it work. The value of places like Porubsky's can't be measured in economic profits or Yelp reviews. What the Porubsky family has been serving up for decades is more than just tasty sandwiches; it is a place where you can go to know people and to be known--and known so well that your sandwich is made before you even make it to the counter to order it.

Squeezing into a seat at the restaurant, it doesn't matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. It doesn't matter where you come from. At places like Porubsky's, everyone is welcome.

While I am sad to see Porubsky's close their doors after decades--75 years--of service, the Porubsky family themselves and their famous grocery will never be forgotten. I knew Charlie and Cecelia's mom and dad, and I know Charlie and Cecelia well today. I thank them for being such good friends and for looking after my well-being and that of thousands of other customers over so many years.

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