Leader Scalise’s Remarks:

“For months now, since we took the majority, we have been hard at work putting together a strong border security package. When we ran last year to get the majority, Republicans said that, ‘Among the other items we ran on in our Commitment to America, that we would work to secure America's border,’ because since the day [President] Biden took office, he took very specific actions to open up America’s border.

“Day one. He halted construction of the wall, he terminated the Remain in Mexico policy, ended agreements with Northern Triangle countries. And [President] Biden sent a message that America's border is open, and millions of people answered that call and started coming across our border illegally. We don't know the exact number because the White House won’t tell the American people how many have come across our border illegally, nor will they tell the country where all of those people have gone. Governors don’t even know how many people are sent into their states at dark of night because that will be put into their school systems. Who knows what else has happened. 

“We do know this: many people on the terrorist watch list have been caught coming across our southern border since [President] Biden opened it up. Again, we've never been able to find out an exact number and that's something we're working on, but it's something that should concern all Americans. And we’re not just talking about people coming from South and Central America. We've already identified over 140 different countries that are represented coming across our border illegally since [President] Biden took office. 

“This is a national crisis. It's creating a lot of other problems, too. We see the fentanyl crisis and how bad it's gotten. Last year, we lost almost 100,000 young people who died from drug overdoses from drugs like fentanyl, which are made in China [and] pass through the cartels across our open southern border.

“Every single day in America, nearly 300 young people die because of fentanyl overdoses due to [President] Biden's open southern border. And what has President Biden's answer been? Everyday. Yesterday. Today. 300 young people will die from drug overdoses from fentanyl. Tomorrow, another 300 people will die because of overdoses from drugs like fentanyl, and yet President Biden doesn't want to do a thing to change that because he wants an open southern border.

“Well, I can tell you House Republicans are fed up and House Republicans are taking action. The Chairman and members behind me have been hard at work in the committees of jurisdiction – Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee – all have taken action now, over the last few weeks, to put together what I would call the strongest border security package that Congress has ever taken up.

“And when we return in May – the same week that Title 42 expires – we’re going to bring a border security package and pass it through this House of Representatives. And we challenge President Biden to work with us to solve this problem. We are going to show the President how to solve this problem. While he’s appointed his Vice President to be the border czar, and she won't even acknowledge that this is a problem, most Americans know this is out of control and the open southern border has to be closed and resolved. 

“And let’s get back to a working, functioning, legal immigration system that we’re so far removed from.

“I want to applaud the members who have been hard at work on this. We have had meetings – for months now – with individual members, [and] with groups of members, to work through all of the complicated issues. And I’m excited to have these chairmen that have been working on these issues – and then moving these bills through their committee[s] – to address this problem.”

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