The Crisis At the Border

Floor Speech

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Mr. BIGGS. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for organizing this.

To be honest with you, I really can't believe we still have to have this conversation. The idea that the United States of America should turn a blind eye to protecting its national borders violates one of the few responsibilities enumerated to the Federal Government in the Constitution, the one we just swore an oath to just a couple weeks ago, to ensure the security of our Nation and provide for its defense. How can anyone argue that we are safer as a nation by not having any idea who is entering our country today?

Unlike many Members of Congress, I was born and raised in southern Arizona, mere miles to the Mexican border, not too far away, an hour or so drive. I have met with Border Patrol agents and ranchers who live in the region several times alone recently. There is no other way to put this: The situation on the American side of the border is dire and equally as grave on the other side.

For 8 years under the Obama administration, the Federal Government effectively told Americans that their safety and their sovereignty were not important. They told Border Patrol and ICE agents that the jobs they were doing were essentially pointless, because the Obama administration was going to find as many ways as possible to prevent further border security and circumvent the immigration laws passed by Congress, including reducing the pay of Border Patrol agents.

If the House Democrats have their way, they will continue down this suboptimum, irresponsible path until it is simply too late.

I visited the 75-mile stretch of the border that crosses through one of Arizona's Indian reservations. Along the way, the Border Patrol agent who was guiding us pointed out drug shacks and lookouts that the cartels use to alert smugglers of the Border Patrol's presence. It is astounding, quite frankly.

Some will argue that there is fencing along many of those miles and try to convince you that the area is secure and no fencing is necessary. But let me tell you something, that is not true. The fencing consists of a single strand of barbed wire. There might be some Normandy barriers, those cross barriers, now and then, and there is some pole fencing, all of which easily can be walked over or stepped through. No one who has been there can argue with a straight face that the ability to walk across the border with little effort can be called secure.

On that same trip, I met with cattle ranchers near Nogales. Each of those families has encountered multiple illegal aliens on their property--in fact, on a regular basis. It is so grave that they set up cameras so they could capture footage of the illegal traffic. I have seen that footage; I have seen the videos. It is not groups of sweet mothers and children coming across. It is groups of armed, young men, with drugs strapped to their backs, 50-pound packages. They are wearing carpet shoes to disguise their footprints in the dirt.

I recently spoke with a rancher along the border. He has told me that he has been victimized by three home invasions and more than a dozen burglaries, not counting the near constant trespasses that victimize his family.

I am curious to know what the open border advocates think about that kind of traffic. Should known drug smugglers have the freedom to traipse across private property and come into America? These Americans own their land, but the House Democrats see no reason to protect them from this invasion.

To any Member of the Chamber who disagrees with border security, or doesn't know how to describe it, including with a wall, how would you feel about constant trespassing and vandalizing of your own property? Don't you think the government should do something about it, or should we just turn a blind eye?

During a more recent trip, I had lunch with about 15 rank-and-file Border Patrol agents working in southern Arizona. These are the men and women defending our borders every day. They are putting their lives on the line, chasing after armed drug smugglers and being assaulted by illegal aliens they encounter.

By the way, just a couple of weeks ago, there was one attacked who had his face broken open by a rock after he was bitten and punched and attacked. Let me tell you, it leads to low morale in the agency.

They are the only DHS law enforcement agency that received a pay cut under the previous administration, and we can't fund them back yet. I don't understand that.

When they hear Members of Congress condemn the work they are doing and advocating instead for lawlessness and open borders, these agents have little incentive or motivation to continue fighting for our Nation's security.

This morning, I stood, like others have mentioned, with Angel Families who have lost loved ones. Two of them are in my district, the families of Brandon Mendoza and Grant Ronnebeck. They have suffered unjust harms. They have lost their children.

When I hear the gentleman from California say, oh, we can't get to the Smithsonian museum, well, for these people, their children will never get to the Smithsonian museum. They will mourn, and they do grieve. I am thankful for them standing up.

I will just tell you, ladies and gentlemen, there is a crisis on the border. We must deal with this with courage.

I call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to quit being obstructionists. We have to fund a border wall and the border security asked for.

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