Condemning Biden’s Open Border Policies 

Since President Biden took office, he has done everything in his power to dismantle United States border security. On his first day, Biden used his pen to stop construction of the border wall, revoke President Trump’s executive order to ensure meaningful enforcement of border laws, end restrictions on immigration from countries associated with terrorism, and sign other executive orders incentivizing migrants to cross illegally. And those are just a few examples: The Biden Administration has purposefully undermined U.S. border security on more than 60 occasions.

Under President Biden, 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered our country, which is more than the population of 36 states, including 169 people on the terrorist watch list. Not only does this pose a threat to our national security, but communities across America are suffering the tragic consequences of Biden’s open border policies daily.

Laken Riley was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant with a criminal record who was released into the U.S. on parole. In South Louisiana, an illegal was arrested for raping a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint and brutally stabbing a man multiple times. In Maryland, a Salvadoran immigrant with a criminal record was arrested in connection to the murder of a 2-year-old. And, in Boston, ICE arrested an illegal from Guatemala recently convicted of sexual assault of a child under 14 years old.

President Biden could secure the border today the same way he created this crisis: With a pen. He chooses not to, putting criminals before the safety of the American people. Meanwhile, House Republicans passed a bill over nine months ago to stop the flow of migrants and keep our communities safe: H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. But the Democrat-led Senate and the White House refuse to take up any meaningful border legislation, instead trying to shift blame and pretend to take action with a Senate open border bill that does nothing to actually close the border.

President Biden and his Administration must be held accountable for their egregious disregard of and efforts to subvert our border laws, and for the consequences their actions have had on American families.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz’s legislation, H. Res. 1065, condemns President Biden and his Administration for their disastrous open border policies and holds them accountable for creating the worst border security crisis in U.S. history. 

While President Biden refuses to stand up for the safety of Americans over illegal immigrant criminals, House Republicans won’t stop fighting to protect our communities and secure the border. 

Ensuring Federal Office Space is Utilized Efficiently to Cut Costs 

To assess the utilization of federal agency headquarters, the GAO conducted a review of 24 agencies that occupy 98 percent of federal real property during select weeks in early 2023. The review found that most federal agencies use 25 percent or less of their buildings’ capacity – wasting federal money as well as creating a higher impact on the environment.

Currently, the federal government owns over 500 million square feet of office space in federal office buildings, costing billions of dollars every year to maintain and operate whether or not the space is being used. Furthermore, federal agencies spend around $5 billion to lease office buildings annually. 

By reducing underutilized federal office space, we could lower these costs and cut down on wasteful Washington spending. This week, House Republicans are bringing legislation to the floor that ensures these spaces are used more efficiently and responsibly. 

H.R. 6276, the Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies Act of 2023, sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry, requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to identify the utilization rate of public buildings and federally-leased spaces, ensure it averages at least 60 percent over the course of a year, and put forward a plan to consolidate federal agency headquarters so building utilization is over 60 percent.

House Republicans will always work to cut wasteful government spending and ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently.