Recent world events have highlighted the need to ensure America is secure and stands ready to respond to aggression from rogue actors that threaten Americans. Along with reinforcing the readiness of our military and standing firmly with allies like Israel, a significant aspect of safeguarding the American homeland is securing our borders.
Sadly, we see the crisis on our Southern border worsening as the Biden administration seemingly turns a blind eye to the national security threat and humanitarian cost of ineffective border policy. According to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), authorities have encountered more than 2.8 million individuals seeking to cross the border in Fiscal Year 2023, including over 150 individuals on the federal terror watchlist and more than 210,000 apprehensions in the month of September. This increase in apprehensions is not a marker of success for CBP; unfortunately, it corresponds with an increase in illegal crossings which have gone unapprehended.
Realizing the severity of the crisis, a number of high-profile Democrats have joined the calls for increased security. In addition to the historic number of migrants seeking shelter and straining local resources across the country, the risk of our adversaries taking advantage of an overwhelmed border must not be overlooked. The risk of escalation of tensions around the world is serious, and the United States must do everything possible to ensure vulnerabilities on our borders are addressed and our allies are supported.
Considering the support Iran has supplied to Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the recent attacks on Israel, the United States must be hypervigilant in its approach to Iran. October 18 marked the day when certain restrictions on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs were due to be lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). The agreement the Obama administration entered with Iran in 2015 was misguided from the start. Additionally, the Biden administration should have never moved forward with unfreezing $6 billion for Iran. I am a cosponsor of legislation to block Iran from accessing these funds. The United States must never again show weakness where its adversaries have shown a desire to increase aggression.
I am grateful support for Israel following the horrific attacks by Hamas has been bipartisan. The task Israel has before it is extremely difficult. We must stand firmly for Israel’s right to defend itself and provide necessary military and humanitarian assistance.
After 20 months since Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, fighting rages on. The fact that Russia has not been able to overwhelm Ukraine and extend aggression further into Eastern Europe is significant; however, this conflict continues to have the potential to escalate as Putin attempts to involve other nations. This week, for example, Putin visited Beijing to meet with Chinese head of state Xi Jinping. Since the Russian offensive began in February 2022, Putin has also personally met with the leaders of North Korea, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. This is very concerning.
At the same time, China continues its aggressive posturing. This week, 13 Chinese military aircraft passed through Taiwanese airspace. Because of the importance of the United States’ relationship with Taiwan, I recently joined with a bipartisan group of members from the Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve, to introduce legislation to strengthen ties with Taiwan and encourage economic development by relieving double-taxation on investments between our countries.
Unrest globally reminds us peace and freedom are delicate and do not come without cost. This is why it’s so disappointing the House has not been able to come together and elect a speaker. I supported Kevin McCarthy when he was the nominee, I would have supported Steve Scalise had his nomination for speaker come to a vote, and I supported Jim Jordan on the House floor – three times. We must stop the nonsense and immediately elect a Speaker of the House so we can get back to work. It’s important in a time like this for the federal government to come together and show a united front. Our adversaries around the world are closely watching our response.