America in Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Louisiana for his leadership.

Madam Speaker, as crisis after crisis emerges from this administration, I would like to take a moment to discuss an issue that has been on my mind and in the hearts of millions of Americans: the crisis at our southern border.

It is a humanitarian, national security, and public health crisis that must be addressed immediately. I have seen these horrific scenes for myself down in McAllen, Texas, and further south through the Darien Gap where families, women, and children endure a dangerous trek to America.

For the past 9 months, the border has served as a hotbed for drug smugglers, human traffickers, child trafficking, and illegal immigration, and is a direct result of the disastrous and harmful open border policy of President Biden and Vice President Harris.

These policies are enriching the cartels, smugglers, and human traffickers who prey on and abuse women and children crossing the border. Some report earnings as much as $14 million a day.

These are horrendous crimes and they have no place in our country. Here is what we know: During the month of August, almost 19,000 of the 208,000 illegal immigrants to cross the border were unaccompanied minors. With a record number of minors crossing the border alone, we need to be actively taking steps to prevent predators from exploiting these innocent children.

Another fact: The number of illegal immigrants taken into custody along the southern border topped 1.2 million since February. This does not count the hundreds of thousands of got-aways. This crisis is not seasonal, is not inherited. It appears like a purposeful chaos by our Democratic Party. We must restore security at the southern border, end illegal immigration, and take immediate steps to prioritize the health and safety of all Americans.

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