Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas is urging his colleagues to leverage Congress’ power of the purse to obtain much-needed steps toward border security.
“No border security, no funding,” Roy wrote in a letter. “Simply put, no member of Congress should agree to fund a federal agency at war with his state and people. We have a moral obligation to protect our states, our nation, and, importantly, the migrant children getting abused from the disaster transpiring at our southern border.”
In the letter, Roy noted the devastating consequences connected to the nation’s failure to secure the border.
“Criminal cartels maintain operational control of the border. Migrants are dying on Texas ranches and along the Rio Grande. Little children are enslaved in the sex-trafficking trade,” he wrote. “Fences are being cut, livestock are escaping, ranchers are threatened, and high-speed chases are tearing through small towns. Perhaps most deadly, dangerous fentanyl is pouring into our communities via an open border – empowering China and cartels while killing 200 Americans per day.”
“Federal funding expires on September 30, at which point we will no doubt face consideration of a continuing resolution (CR) or full-year appropriations measures to fund the Biden administration. Enacting a CR would unacceptably mean continuing the funding level and policies of the disastrous FY 2023 omnibus, which Speaker McCarthy correctly argued perpetuates the border crisis. Passing a full-year DHS appropriations bill without forcing the significant change necessary to secure the southern border is equally objectionable, even with some policy riders,” Roy wrote.
The conservative congressman is calling upon his colleagues to refuse to appropriate funds for the Department of Homeland Security until steps are taken toward the aim of achieving border security.
“Therefore, while simultaneously working to reduce spending levels and address other urgent policy matters, we must use the power of the purse to force President Biden to end the carnage resulting from open borders,” he wrote.
“No appropriation should fund DHS until the necessary steps are taken to secure the border, such as: 1) signing H.R. 2, or similar strong border security legislation, into law and prohibiting funds from being used in contravention of its provisions, including by mass releasing migrants through the CBP One app or otherwise; 2) adopting policies that give law enforcement and/or our military the tools necessary to target dangerous cartels; 3) ensuring Secretary Mayorkas is removed from office, resigns, or is fired; and/or 4) reimbursing Texas the $10 billion – to date – for Operation Lonestar and related border security efforts, as well as any other border state that has demonstrated such significant law-enforcement related expenses,” Roy wrote.
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