Paul Gosar Slams Biden Border Restrictions: ‘Too Little Too Late’

6 months ago

On Thursday, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) delivered remarks on border security durign a House Natural Resources Committee hearing.

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00:00meeting today to hear testimony on destroying America's best idea, Biden's

00:04border crisis, desecrating national park lands and damaging communities

00:09under committee rule four F. Any role opening statement hearing is limited to

00:14the chair won't chairman and a ranking member. I therefore ask you have sent

00:18that all the members statements be made part of the hearing record if they are

00:22submitted in accordance with rule committee rule three zero without just

00:26objection. So word I asked unanimous consent. The following members be

00:30allowed to sit and participate today in today's hearing. The gentleman from

00:34Wisconsin, Mr Tiffany, the gentlewoman for Virginia, Miss Kiggins, the

00:38gentlewoman from New York, Miss Malia Takis, the gentleman from New York,

00:43gentlemen from Mr Esposito without objection. So order. I now record

00:48myself, recognize myself for an opening statement.

00:50Mhm.

00:53Good morning, everyone. I first would like to take a moment to say thank you

00:57to our witnesses for your travel. Thank you coming before the committee today

01:01to discuss the destroying America's best idea. Biden's border crisis,

01:05desecrating national park lands and damaging communities. Last September,

01:11Chairman and Westerman and I visited New York City in the wake of Mayor Adams,

01:16a Democrat predicting that the massive increase in migrants was destroying the

01:20city. After being denied a tour of the processing center, we visited Floyd

01:25Bennett Field with local elected officials as well as representatives

01:29from the National Park Service. An agreement to the lease site which sits

01:33on National Park Service land had just been signed between the city of New

01:36York and the National Park Service. Local residents, local elected

01:40officials and even law enforcement repeatedly vocalized their concerns for

01:44the wrong wrongly reached plan to house thousands of migrants on one of

01:49the largest green spaces in New York City.

01:53We asked all the all kinds of questions about safety and security for both the

01:56employees and the migrants themselves. All of our concerns have were ignored

02:02at this as at this time, the focus was simply on housing more people at any

02:06cost, no matter what rules needed to be bent.

02:11Here we are, nine months later, all the problems you predicted have come to

02:13pass. Let's quickly tick through them. Crime in the local area has gone up.

02:20Stress on local and park law enforcement has increased. Local

02:25citizens have experienced reduced access to green spaces. Even the migrant

02:29population at the camp itself is not safe. During a winter storm last year,

02:33the migrants had to be evacuated to a local high school, which caused the

02:36students to miss school. Above all, building this camp did nothing to

02:40resolve the overall issue of reducing the number of illegal immigrants coming

02:44to the New York City seeking shelter. The Biden administration misguided

02:49immigration policies are at the heart of these issues. Since the beginning of

02:52this administration, President Biden has rolled back many of the policies that

02:56helped reduce the number of illegal aliens coming to our border through our

02:59border and entering our our cities. Just yesterday, suspected terrorists from

03:04with ISIS ties were arrested by ice in New York City and several other cities.

03:08There were migrants who crossed the southern border just last year.

03:12The Border Patrol has lost nearly a quarter of its workforce since October

03:16of 2020. Twice as many agents have chosen to retire early compared to the Obama

03:21and Trump administrations. One agent even commented that, quote, the administration

03:27is so bad for morale, I am not trying to be political, I'm just speaking the

03:33facts. It's become political. Catch and release is demoralizing the agents, end of

03:37quote. In fact, the situation has gotten so bad during President Biden's time in

03:41office that President Biden himself is now desperately attempting to reverse

03:45this course and limit asylum claims with an effect with an executive order. But

03:50this action comes a little too little too late and further supports the

03:54committee's conviction that housing migrants on National Park land is

03:58neither an appropriate use of the nation's most treasured places, nor does

04:01it address the Biden administration's border crisis. The community is thoroughly

04:05investigating Biden's administration's decision to lease Floyd Bennett Field

04:09and has issued requests for document productions, held briefings, conducted

04:14interviews involving several federal entities involving the Department of

04:17Interior, National Park Service, Department of Homeland Security, and the

04:21Executive Office of the President. The committee will continue to move forward

04:24with this investigation until the Biden administration not only commits to a

04:28rapid demobilization plan for the camp at Floyd Bennett Field, but also

04:33acknowledge their mistakes in creating this precedent. America's National Parks

04:38are called our nation's best idea. The National Park Service mission is to

04:42quote, preserve unimpaired and the natural and cultural resources and values

04:47of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of

04:51this and future generations, end of quote. Housing migrants at National Park

04:55Service land sets a dangerous precedent that, left unchecked, could expand into

04:59either public highlands and national parks, transforming the legacy of a park

05:03system from one of natural beauty to a pay for play system, prioritizing

05:08migrants over our strained or shared national and cultural history. The Floyd

05:15Bennett Field lease expires in September. The Biden administration has

05:19so far remained silent about its future plans for the migrant camp at Floyd

05:23Bennett Field. However, I want to make sure we're clear about this. The lease

05:26must end and it will in January. I'm now recognizing the ranking member for her

05:31opening statement. All right, well good morning everyone and thank you Mr.

05:36Chairman. I want to welcome our witnesses who've traveled to be here today.

Paul Gosar Slams Biden Border Restrictions: ‘Too Little Too Late’

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