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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Washington, May 17, 2023
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:
 
Deporting Illegal Immigrants that Assault Police

As Biden’s border crisis worsens with the end of Title 42, law enforcement on the front lines are suffering the consequences.

In March, a female border patrol agent was violently assaulted by an illegal immigrant while making an arrest, injuring her face and hands. In November, the FBI arrested two migrants who pushed, dragged, and punched a border patrol agent as they were attempting to cross the border illegally.

This kind of violence and disregard for the laws of the United States cannot be tolerated. 

U.S. Border Patrol agents and police officers around the country work tirelessly to keep our borders and communities safe – the least we can do is hold accountable those who seek to harm them.


Rep. Andrew Garbarino’s legislation, H.R. 2494, the Protect Our Law Enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement Act of 2023 (POLICE Act of 2023), makes assaulting a police officer a deportable offense. 

This should be bipartisan: if you come illegally into the United States and assault a police officer, you shouldn’t be allowed to stay. House Republicans are standing up for our law enforcement – will Democrats?


Allowing Federal Law Enforcement to Purchase Service Weapons

Right now, federal regulations require that service weapons be destroyed after they are retired from official use – making it impossible for police officers to purchase retired weapons.

The result is a massive waste of taxpayer dollars, as these weapons are paid for both when they go into circulation and when they are retired. 

Between fiscal years 2010 to 2017, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review found that federal law enforcement agencies reported spending at least $38.8 million on firearms.

H.R. 3091, the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act, sponsored by Rep. Russell Fry, directs the General Services Administration to allow law enforcement officers to buy retired service weapons.

Let's stop wasting millions of taxpayer dollars, offset the cost of buying new firearms, and invest in other law enforcement needs.