Week in Review
Restoring order at the border
The unmitigated chaos at the southern border has been top of mind for me—as I know it has been for many of you, too.
Last month saw the highest number of migrant encounters ever recorded, with about 302,000 people attempting to cross into our country illegally.
302,000—that’s nearly quadruple the capacity of Razorback Stadium. Let that sink in.
The historic surge of migrants from across the globe has had crushing effects on our homeland—from public health to national security to our economy.
Empowered cartels have trafficked lethal fentanyl across the border, flowing into the hands of young Americans and causing fentanyl and fentanyl-related deaths to be the leading cause of death for adults aged 18 to 45.
There has been an astonishing 8.5 million illegal immigrants who have crossed the border under Biden, including over 1.7 million known “gotaways” who escaped past Border Patrol and into our country. In November alone, we know 17 people on the terrorist watch list attempted to cross. This overwhelming surge begs the question, how many dangerous people have slipped through the cracks?
Our economy suffers under the border crisis. With thousands of people flooding to the border each day, multiple international railway crossings were shut down to redeploy personnel for migrant processing, leading to major disruptions in global commerce.
Operational control of our nation’s border has been completely upended–and you may wonder how we got here.
The border crisis began with President Biden’s swipe of a pen reversing Trump-era policies. In his first 100 days in office, he took 94 executive actions on immigration, including halting the construction of the border wall. The chaos we see now is a direct result of these shortsighted actions. Since then, Biden has continued to look the other way and ignore this self-inflicted crisis.
Enough is enough.
Back in May, House Republicans advanced the strongest border security package ever to pass the House–the Secure the Border Act, or H.R. 2–to firmly secure the border once and for all.
However, it’s no surprise that the Democrat-led Senate and White House have refused to move this legislation, but at least both bodies are finally acknowledging the urgent need to secure the border.
My colleagues and I on the Republican side understand it takes more than throwing money at the issue to fix it–we must make substantial policy changes to hit the root of the crisis. We must enact policies to end catch-and-release, reinstate President Trump’s effective Remain in Mexico program, restart construction on the border wall, and provide much-needed resources to support our hardworking Customs and Border Patrol agents. And that’s just the start.
The border will be a hot topic when Congress returns next week. On top of rushing to complete our appropriations work, Congress must find a path forward for border security measures.
We will have to wait to see how this shakes out, and I will be sure to keep you updated as we progress. My hope is that we don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good, and take the first downs when we can, as opposed to going for a Hail Mary. We must take advantage of any opportunity to secure our border and restore operational control of our homeland.
Expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation facilities
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This week I was proud to introduce legislation alongside my friend and fellow Arkansan, Rep. Bruce Westerman, to expand opportunities to improve and develop outdoor recreation facilities at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) managed areas. This bill is called the Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong Act, or the LAKES Act.
As you know, Arkansas’ Third is home to world-class outdoor offerings, attracting tourists and residents alike to enjoy the immense beauty and participate in our endless recreational activities. Because of this, outdoor recreation is one of the top economic drivers in our state.
However, under current federal law, local managers of recreation sites we all know and love, such as Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake, must cut through endless bureaucratic red tape to maintain and operate these sites effectively.
The LAKES Act would rectify this by allowing the Army Corps to retain recreation fees collected onsite, keeping maintenance and operations decisions out of the hands of federal bureaucrats and into the hands of the local managers who know these sites best.
This bill ensures our beloved outdoor recreation facilities can be enjoyed for generations to come!
Around the district
I spent the first week of the year doing what I love most-–traveling from NWA to the River Valley to visit with the great folks of Arkansas’ Third District!
Arkansas Asphalt and Pavement Association Luncheon
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I spoke at the Arkansas Asphalt and Pavement Association luncheon and met with folks in the industry. I talked about the importance of adequate investments in our infrastructure. Congress has the ability to direct funds to specific projects within our districts–something I’m always sure to take advantage of. This project-specific funding allows for the development of roads and bridges, which directly facilitate the growth and expansion of our region.
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From the contractors to the suppliers to the engineers, these people are truly the backbone of economic development throughout our state! Thank you for all you do for Arkansas!
Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce First Friday Breakfast
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Fort Smith is ground zero for some exciting work happening in Arkansas’ Third, particularly the Foreign Military Sales mission and pilot training that will soon be happening at Ebbing Air National Guard Base. This alone will bring an estimated annual economic impact of $1 billion, along with 800 to 1,000 foreign and American families to the region.
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It always makes me proud to come down and see the impressive growth in the River Valley region–a part of my district that is incredibly important to me. It was an honor to be the keynote speaker at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Breakfast this morning. I talked about what’s happening in Washington and the impacts it will have on the region. It’s always a pleasure to be with the great people of Fort Smith!
I will be back in Washington next week for legislative business to help find solutions to fund our government and secure the border.
Have a great weekend ahead, and stay safe and warm as we experience this winter weather!
Be sure to check out my website, Twitter, and Instagram pages in the meantime!
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