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Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I rise today in support of securing our border and taking action to fix our broken immigration system.

Let's back up for a minute. Fixing our broken immigration system and securing our border has evaded Congress for decades. We have poured many hours and much ink into trying to solve the very real issues that we have, and we have come close. I was proud to advance the bipartisan Gang of 8 immigration reform that would have tightened border security, provided pathways to citizenship for those already here, and expanded work visas. I, along with many in this Chamber, also voted for a bipartisan bill that would have given a path to citizenship for the 1.8 million Dreamers who came to our country as children.

We nearly passed the Common Sense Plan, a bill that would have invested $25 billion in border security and also provided a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers. All of these efforts--every single one of them--died at the hands of congressional Republicans.

Recently, Democrats and Republicans came to the table, yet again, to find a path forward on border security and fixes to our immigration system. Together, my colleagues from both parties worked hard to find a bipartisan compromise, and they did. The result was a strong measure, even endorsed by the largest Border Patrol union, that curbs the flow of fentanyl from coming across our border, expedites our asylum process, and boosts border security. Then, many Republicans walked away again, apparently deciding that it was better politics not to secure our border.

And what hits closest to home for me and every family who has watched a loved one pass away from fentanyl poisoning or an overdose is that we have a real chance to disrupt the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities.

In the 2-year period from 2021 to 2022, over 2,800 Wisconsinites died of an opioid-related overdose. In just 2 years, thousands of Wisconsin families lost a loved one and gained an empty seat at the dinner table.

I have heard from countless parents devastated by losing their child. One mother, Michelle, got a call one November morning in 2021 notifying her that her son Cade, a freshman at UW-Milwaukee, had passed away. The night before, Cade had gone out with friends in his dorm. He took one pill that he thought was Percocet. It turned out to be 100 percent fentanyl.

Michelle told me earlier this year that Cade ``had his entire life ahead of him. He was home from college the weekend before he died talking about changing his major to psychology and how he wanted to travel the world. He deserved to learn from his mistake, not die from it. He didn't overdose from taking one pill. He was poisoned.''

That is the stark reality of fentanyl: One pill can kill. In 2020, over 85 percent of opioid deaths in Wisconsin were connected to a synthetic or manufactured opioid like fentanyl. We can and we must do more to stop illicit drugs from coming into our communities. We have that chance in front of us right now.

We are bringing this bill back up because this is what the American people are demanding. While Wisconsin is not on the southern border, we are impacted by the flow of fentanyl coming across that border, and Wisconsinites want action. This bipartisan border compromise is that action.

This legislation will invest in 100 new cutting-edge inspection machines that help detect fentanyl at our ports of entry. This bill would also strengthen border security with more than 2,400 new Customs and Border Protection officers at our southwest border and give the President new authority to shut down the border when the system is overwhelmed.

Not only would this compromise combat the fentanyl crisis, but this also gives us the opportunity to take on an immigration system that has been broken for decades. If passed, this bill would invest in asylum officers and immigration judges to expedite the process. We would also send more resources to help communities across this country struggling to provide critical services to newcomers and expedite work permits for people who are in this country and qualify so that newcomers can provide for their families and help us meet workforce demands for Wisconsin businesses and farms.

With communities across Wisconsin and the country receiving migrants, this bill would deliver the necessary resources so that our local boots on the ground can effectively welcome those legally entering this country and not stress their often-stretched budgets.

Many Republicans walked away from this deal that they negotiated more than 100 days ago because some would rather make this a campaign issue. Well, I, for one, would prefer to make a difference. Our constituents expect--frankly, they demand--that we come here and work in good faith and find compromise where possible.

Our colleagues found a compromise on immigration reform and securing our border. Is it perfect? No. Would it have been a huge step in the right direction? Yes. I, nor anyone else, got everything that they wanted. This bill is a compromise, and there is more work to do. Even if we pass this bill, we must remain committed to fixing our immigration system, including creating a clear path to citizenship for immigrants already here, especially our Dreamers.

But in this instance, we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We cannot allow politics to win out over progress. We cannot allow the same old Washington games to stop us from saving lives. Right now, we have a chance to take a step in the right direction, a chance to do the right thing for moms like Michelle and every parent who has lost a child to fentanyl. Let's do something together right now to secure our border, stop the flow of fentanyl, fix our broken immigration system, and make a real difference for Americans.

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