North Shore Louisiana News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On May 11, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise appeared on Fox News’ America Reports to discuss the end of Title 42 and the growing security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border ahead of the vote on H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. Leader Scalise debunked the false narrative pushed by the Biden Administration that the southern border is secure, and highlighted how H.R. 2 is a comprehensive bill to counter the Administration’s open border policies. 

On Secretary Mayorkas’ briefing earlier today:
“I appreciate the attention you all have been giving to this because when you listen to Secretary Mayorkas, over and over again, he continues to spread this false narrative that the border is not open. What border is he talking about? Cuba's border? I have no idea if he knows just how bad this problem is – he created it. President Biden created it. They don't want to solve the problem. We're bringing a bill today – we're going to pass just in the next few hours – off the House Floor that will secure America's border. And the President opposes that bill. 

“So that tells you exactly where the Biden Administration is. They want an open border. They created an open border. Secretary Mayorkas knows it. He's not shooting straight with the American people, but the American people are watching this. They know what they see. They see a wide-open border, record numbers of people coming in illegally. Five million – minimum – in the last two years since he's been President, and it's only getting worse. It's creating drug problems where we're seeing 300 young kids a day dying in America from fentanyl and other drugs coming over our open southern border because of [President] Biden's policies. They don't care about this problem. House Republicans are taking action today to fix it. It's time the Senate and the President get engaged in this fight.” 

On surging border encounters since President Biden took office:

“If this is the best they've got, they all ought to resign right now because this is a national embarrassment. What's happening? Look, the New York Times just did a report a few days ago that said the Biden Administration lost track of 85,000 young kids that have come across our border illegally. How do you lose 85,000 young kids? Where are they? There is human trafficking going on that's well documented. There's all kinds of other abuses. 

“The drug cartels are controlling America's southern border. Does this President have no concern for the loss of human life that we're seeing every single day? 300 young kids a day die just from the drugs coming across our open southern border, and he won't do a thing about it. House Republicans are. We're going to pass a bill today. 

“I want the President to finally look at this and say, ‘You know what? It's time we joined with Republicans to do something.’ We're not going to wait for him if he's going to create this crisis. We're going to pass a bill to  fix it. The American people are going to be watching this vote today. It's not too late for them to call their Member of Congress and say, ‘How are you going to vote today on the [Secure the Border Act]? It's on the Floor in about two hours.” 

On whether H.R. 2 will pass the Senate:
“I think the American people are watching this and are getting more vocal. They're seeing how bad it's been, but it's getting worse. With the end of Title 42 today, It's getting dramatically worse. So I think people are going to get engaged. I don't think it's a given that this bill is dead in the Senate because there are a lot of Senate Democrats who are hearing from their constituents. And you know, what, if they're not – if you're angry about this – call your Senator today. Call your House Member today because you can do something about it, because there's a bill that will end catch-and-release. This idea that – if someone comes across illegally [and] you literally make the Border Patrol agents catch them and let them go into the interior of the country – we don't know where they're going. No governor, no mayor is told how many are showing up by dark of night on a bus or on a plane. 

“This is a national disgrace. Where are they housing them? How much money is going? We've cut off funding in this bill, by the way, to any group that is using taxpayer money to transport people illegally through the country. We end that in this bill as well. We give Border Patrol agents the actual tools they need. They're doing a wonderful job. I've embedded with our Border Patrol at the border just about a year ago. And they will tell you what the problem is. They don't have the tools they need. We give them those tools in this bill as well so they can do their job, and we allow for the hiring of more Border Patrol agents – not to process people to come here illegally, but to actually secure America's border and get back to a functioning legal immigration system.”

On the costs to Americans imposed by illegal immigration:
“Every town in America today is a border town because of President Biden's open border. They're not just staying in Texas. I spoke to Governor Abbott yesterday. He's right there on the front lines and we've seen the devastation in Texas – it's all around the nation. They're sending them all throughout the country into communities. They're going to end up at schools, how are they going to house [and] how are they going to school these young children? Where are they keeping these people? 

“If people are breaking laws – we've got a bill we're bringing next week that says, you know some of these people [who] come in illegally are violating laws. Where's the accountability there? People are asking these questions. The Biden administration, interestingly, will not tell people the answer to these questions. We're going to demand those. We're actually going to have hearings where we make them come in and give us the answers that the American people want to know: how many have come in illegally, [and] where are they being sent? How many are on the terrorist watch list? We know of dozens already that were captured on the terrorist watch list.”

On the role of the National Guard at the Border:
“Governor Abbott, like I said, has tried a number of things to help better protect Texans and the rest of America from this crisis, and they've been receiving pushback and fighting from the Biden Administration because the Biden Administration wants an open border and Secretary Mayorkas wants to do something today. He can do this today: end catch-and-release. Let the Border Patrol agents actually secure the border. Stop using taxpayer money, through these [non-governmental organizations], to pay to transport people illegally throughout the rest of the country. Get the Remain in Mexico protocol back in place. That was something President Trump negotiated. Start building the wall again. The money's there – they actually paid the contractors to abandon the work sites. We – in our bill – reinstate construction of hundreds of miles of border wall. All of those things were working. 

“[President] Biden ended those himself. He could start them again today. If he was serious about the problem – clearly he's not – we are. Our bill does all of those things and more. The President opposes our bill because he doesn't want to secure the border. We're gonna keep fighting to get this done. I think the rest of the country is going to be engaged in this in the weeks ahead demanding the Senate pass our bill demanding the President sign.” 

Original source can be found here.