'Laid Waste To Our Communities': GOP Lawmaker Hammers President Biden's Border Policies

5 months ago

During debate on the House floor, Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) ripped into President Biden and Democrats over border and criminal policies.

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Transcript

00:00For the purposes of debate, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the Distinguished Gentleman from Massachusetts, Ranking Member McGovern, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.

00:11During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

00:16Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

00:23Without objection.

00:24House Resolution 1227 provides for consideration of eight measures.

00:29H.R. 8369, H.R. 7530, H.R. 7343, H.R. 8146, H.R. 7581, H.R. 354, H.R. 1213, and H.R. 1210.

00:49The rule provides for H.R. 7343 and H.R. 8146 to be considered under structured rules,

00:57with one hour of debate each equally divided and controlled by the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their designees,

01:05and provides for one motion to recommit.

01:07The rule further provides for consideration of two measures,

01:11H.R. 354, H.R. 7581 under closed rules, with one hour of debate each equally divided by the Chair and the Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their designees,

01:22and provides for one motion to recommit.

01:25The rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 1210 and H.R. 1213 under closed rules,

01:31with one hour of debate each equally divided and controlled by the Chair and the Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their designees.

01:39And the rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 7530 under a closed rule,

01:44with one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and the Ranking Member on the Committee of Oversight and Accountability or their designees,

01:51and provides for one motion to recommit.

01:53And finally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8369 under a closed rule,

01:59with one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and the Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their designee,

02:06and provides for one motion to recommit.

02:13Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.

02:19The rule before us provides for consideration of three measures to support our nation's law enforcement

02:25in the face of the Biden Administration's disastrous immigration policies.

02:30H.R. 7343, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act,

02:35would bring real consequences on the heads of those in our country illegally.

02:40This legislation would require the immediate detention and deportation of any illegal alien

02:46who chooses to assault the men and women who keep our community safe.

02:50Additionally, H.R. 8146 would require that the Attorney General provide a full accounting

02:57of how this historic and dangerous border crisis has truly impacted the health and the safety of our nation's law enforcement.

03:05And finally, H.R. 1210 condemns the Biden Administration's failed border policies

03:11that have resulted in 9.3 million illegal alien encounters along our borders in less than four years,

03:18and that doesn't include those that have evaded border patrol.

03:21America's law enforcement officers are on the front lines of the Biden border crisis,

03:26bearing the brunt of this President's open borders policies

03:30that are threatening the security of our nation and laying waste to our communities.

03:35We have yet to fully know the true damage done to our national security

03:40by four years of flinging the doors open to those breaking our laws.

03:44But one thing is certain.

03:46It is falling on our nation's law enforcement officers,

03:50our police officers in big cities and small towns across America,

03:54to contend with the consequences of this Administration's open borders policy.

04:00But the Biden border crisis is only one challenge facing our nation's law enforcement officers.

04:05As we witness an alarming surge in criminal activity thanks to the left's anti-police, soft-on-crime policies,

04:12it's imperative that we confront the harsh reality.

04:16Our law enforcement officers are under attack, both physically and politically.

04:22They're being targeted by the radical left simply by doing their jobs

04:27for upholding the rule of law and for protecting our communities.

04:31And to that end, the rule today before us provides for consideration for several measures

04:37that stand with our law enforcement officers in the face of these asinine policies

04:42that seek to vilify them and prevent them from doing their jobs,

04:46including H.R. 7581, the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act,

04:53H.R. 354, the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act, and H.R. 1213,

05:01a resolution condemning violence against our law enforcement officers.

05:06H.R. 7581 would require the Department of Justice to report to Congress

05:11about violent attacks on law enforcement officers

05:14and the response of federal, state, and local governments to these attacks.

05:19Additionally, H.R. 354 would fix a discrepancy under current law

05:24to ensure that qualified active or retired law enforcement officers

05:29are not prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm in public settings.

05:34There's no good reason why the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day

05:39should have their Second Amendment rights curtailed as they are under the current law.

05:44And finally, H.R. 1213 expresses a sentiment that I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle

05:50can fully embrace and get behind.

05:53Full, unequivocal support for our law enforcement officers

05:57and strong opposition to any movement that seeks to defund the police.

06:03Mr. Speaker, this is not a matter of statistics or headlines.

06:07The soft-on-crime policies that the radical left have championed

06:11have only left American families in more danger.

06:14Years of Democratic elected officials, including some right here in Congress,

06:19calling to defund the police have vilified the law enforcement officers

06:23and prevent them from doing their jobs, leaving people that they serve less safe.

06:29Nowhere is this displayed more vividly than right here in our nation's capital.

06:34And the rule before us today also provides for consideration of a bill

06:38to combat the District of Columbia's anti-law enforcement pro-criminal policies,

06:43H.R. 7530, the D.C. criminal reforms to immediately make everyone safe act.

06:49D.C. law enforcement remains understaffed and overwhelmed by soaring crime rates,

06:55violent crime rates.

06:57In 2023 alone, homicides increased 29% from 2022.

07:01Violent crime increased 37% and robberies increased 65%.

07:07But what has the D.C. Council done?

07:09Well, in 2022, it passed the revised Criminal Code Act, which reduced penalties for violent offenders.

07:16And in that same year, the Council passed the comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act,

07:21which targeted D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officers

07:25and their ability to combat rising crime.

07:29So if the D.C. Council won't heed the concerns of the District's residents, police officers,

07:34and visitors from this country and around the world, then it's Congress's job to step in.

07:39This mess only encourages lawlessness and puts lives at risk.

07:43We've had one of our own colleagues, a member of Congress carjacked,

07:47and a staffer stabbed, among many other horrifying and violent crimes.

07:53If we can't get a handle on crime in our nation's beautiful capital,

07:58how does that fare for the rest of the country?

08:01H.R. 7530 changes the maximum age limit for youthful offender status from 24 years old to 18 years old.

08:09It requires the District's Attorney General to establish and update a public website

08:13containing juvenile crime statistics in the District

08:16and provides the D.C. Council from enacting any changes to criminal sentences.

08:21Youth criminal activity has skyrocketed, along with every other manner of violent crime in our nation's capital.

08:28A soft-on-crime approach is simply just not working,

08:31putting the lives of innocent residents and visitors in danger

08:35and hamstringing the ability of our cops to do their jobs.

08:39Residents of D.C. have the same rights as other Americans to be secure in their homes

08:44and to be protected against crimes committed against their lives and their property.

08:49It's heartbreaking to see the crimes committed by children and young people in D.C.

08:54and we need real solutions to address them.

08:57Children in our nation's capital deserve better than anti-police policies that lead them to a life of crime.

09:03It is our duty as members of Congress, as laid out in the D.C. Home Rule Act,

09:08to step in when the District's own policies so clearly threaten the safety of the residents of our nation's capital as they do today.

09:16And finally, the rule before us provides for consideration of H.R. 8369, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act.

09:26Mr. Speaker, it is frankly shocking and disgusting to hear that President Biden

09:32is purposely withholding our nation's arms shipments to Israel as they're fighting to defend their right to exist.

09:39At a time when Israel is under assault, facing attacks from Hamas in Iran,

09:44the decision to withhold these critical munitions is not just a failure.

09:49It's a betrayal of our greatest ally in the Middle East,

09:52and it goes directly against the will of this Congress and the will of the people.

09:56We cannot let political games endanger lives.

10:00H.R. 8369 would ensure that America stands with Israel in its darkest hour.

10:07Despite this administration's disgraceful actions to block such vital support,

10:11the legislation will ensure that any defense articles and defense services for Israel

10:17are delivered expeditiously without obstruction from this administration

10:22that is willing to play games, unfortunately, with such necessary shipments.

10:26And we will prevent them subverting the will of Congress.

10:30Mr. Speaker, America must stand with Israel and send a message to the world that we will not falter.

10:37I urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

'Laid Waste To Our Communities': GOP Lawmaker Hammers President Biden's Border Policies

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