North Shore Louisiana News

On May 11, 2024, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Whip Emmer (R-Minn.), and Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) issued a joint statement marking the one-year anniversary of the House passing the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2).

The GOP leaders claimed that "Over the past three and a half years, President Biden has ceded operational control of the southern border to drug cartels and has welcomed untold millions of inadmissible aliens into our country." They further stated that due to Biden's policies, traffickers, smugglers, persons on the terrorism watchlist, and other dangerous criminals are crossing the border daily. The leaders also linked fentanyl poisoning as a leading cause of death in America to these policies and cited instances such as Laken Riley's murder by violent criminals allegedly released by the Biden Administration.

In their statement, they reminded that last year House Republicans passed the Secure the Border Act aiming to halt what they termed as madness. The act proposed an increase in border patrol agents, resumption of border wall construction, termination of Biden’s catch-and-release policy, prevention of Mayorkas’ alleged abuse of CBP One, and prohibition on taxpayer funds being used by NGOs to transport illegal aliens around the country.

The GOP leaders expressed their frustration over Senator Schumer's refusal to consider their legislation for a vote for an entire year. They stated this inaction is allowing "this catastrophe to continue unabated" and argued it is costing American lives every day. On this anniversary, they demanded that Senate bring H.R. 2 up for a vote stating "The American people deserve a government that actually cares about their safety and security, and will uphold the rule of law."