Not one more penny for deadly border policies

OPINION:

Republicans often talk about the border crisis, and they love to make campaign promises in response to the thousands of Americans and migrants dead at the hands of violent cartels, drug smugglers, and human traffickers. Some, myself included, fire off tweets to catch the attention of various “leaders” including Vice President Kamala Harris and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and to demand they address the chaos at our border. Sometimes they even travel to the border to see it for themselves, or to say they “saw” it for themselves in mere hours while posing for photo ops.

Yet when back in Washington, the high-ranking officials of the Biden administration continue to turn a blind eye to the dismal realities presented at the southern border, and too many of those same Republicans mentioned above vote to fund the policies stoking this crisis.

Make no mistake: this border crisis and future such border crises can be avoided with policy changes. The Biden administration, including Harris and Mayorkas, know that but are instead deliberately handing control of our border to cartels while Congress just sits on their hands and talks. The federal government including Congress can fix this crisis. We know how to do it: build the border wall and navigable roads for Border Patrol, require the turn away of illegal migrants at the border and fix loopholes that allow for abuses and releases, empower ICE to enforce our laws, and importantly, target and put a stop to dangerous cartels.

The founders gave Congress the power of the purse for a reason it’s the foremost way to check an abusive executive branch. It’s time we use it. Congressional Republicans must refuse to hand over another hard-earned taxpayer dollar to Biden’s DHS and ICE until they cease undermining national sovereignty by letting record-high numbers of cartels, terrorists, fentanyl, and illegal migrants flood our border. No more blank checks for this administration’s reckless and tyrannical agenda.

Any Republican who votes to give nearly $60 billion to a DHS that has released over one million illegal migrants into the interior US, attacked Border Patrol agents over false “whipping migrants” accusations, and whose Secretary Mayorkas blatantly lied to Congress by claiming he had “operational control” of the border, is complicit in their tyranny. Any Republican who funds ICE to the tune of billions more is partially responsible for their failure to remove illegal aliens in accordance with the law — which led to the lowest number of deportations in 26 years last year.

And what are we funding? Since Biden took office, Border Patrol has encountered over 3.3 million illegal migrants at our southern border including up to 81 suspected terrorists and DHS has released over one million into the US. Over two million migrants have illegally entered the US so far this fiscal year - the highest number seen at the border in DHS history. And that’s not counting the at least 900,000 known “gotaways.” This administration’s policies also empowered cartels to bring record-breaking amounts of lethal fentanyl across our border, this while record numbers of Americans are dying from fentanyl “poisonings.” Just last year, over 71,000 Americans died from fentanyl related overdoses and poisonings.

Emboldened by the Biden administration, cartels are unafraid of trafficking humans and drugs even in the heart of our nation’s capital. Indeed, less than two months ago, authorities discovered 73 migrants — including 13 children — along with cash and cocaine in a stash house in an upscale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Just weeks before, cartels left smuggled migrants to suffocate to death in a trailer in San Antonio, leading to the death of 53 migrants, and the deadliest-known human smuggling incident in U.S. history.

Enough. James Madison wrote in Federalist 58 that the House’s power of the purse was “the most complete and effectual weapon with which any constitution can arm the immediate representatives of the people.” More of my Republicans colleagues ought to heed those words. It is time for us to stand firm, reject any Democrat spending bill that continues these disastrous and deadly cartel-empowering border policies, and withhold funding until necessary policy changes to end this border crisis are secured.

Here’s my promise to my constituents in Texas’ 21st district: I will not vote for a single additional penny for open borders. Not one more penny to empower violent cartels, gang members, and terrorists to run amok in border communities. Not one more penny for this administration to let cartels smuggle deadly fentanyl into our communities and schools.

How many of my colleagues will join me?

• Chip Roy is a United States Representative from Texas’ 21st Congressional District. Previously, Rep. Roy served as First Assistant Attorney General of Texas under Ken Paxton, Chief of Staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, senior advisor to Texas Governor Rick Perry, Senate Judiciary Committee staff director under Sen. John Cornyn, and as a federal prosecutor. Prior to the public sector, he worked for nearly three years as an investment banking analyst. Rep. Roy holds a B.A. and M.A from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the University of Texas. He serves on the House Judiciary and Veteran Affairs Committee, Executive Board of the House Freedom Caucus, and Chair of Republican Study Committee’s Healthcare Task Force.