‘Don’t Say That To Me’: Ann Wagner Berates Witness For Claiming Biden's Committed To Border Security

3 months ago

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) questioned witnesses about Chinese nationals arriving at the southern border, low deportation numbers and China’s role in the fentanyl crisis.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm trying to get this in before we run to votes and thank you

00:04all our witnesses for their service and their time. This administration's waffling has created

00:11chaos and instability on a massive scale from Europe to the Middle East and beyond. We've

00:18got Russia, China and Iran are taking advantage of our weakness and our lack of resolve. Every

00:26day they are bringing the fight closer to our shores and whether through the utter collapse

00:32of security on the southern border or the out-of-control flow, as Mr. Meeks has brought

00:38up, of fentanyl into American communities. We must restore American leadership abroad

00:45to deter China and Russian aggression, but we cannot neglect the vigilant defense of

00:51our interests in our own backyards. Assistant Secretary Nichols, this year so far, 27,000

00:59Chinese nationals have been apprehended at our southern border. A total of 89 of them

01:04have been removed from the U.S. in 2024. Last year, 24,000 Chinese migrants illegally entered

01:15the U.S. and only 285 were sent back. Why are the deportation numbers so low and what

01:22is your assessment of the national security risk posed by these growing and growing numbers

01:28of unvetted Chinese nationals illegally entering our country?

01:38The Biden administration is committed to secure borders. No, they're not. Ten million

01:45illegal migrants have come across, so don't say that to me, but go ahead. This administration

01:50proposed comprehensive migration reform. That was not passed. The president has put forward

01:56new regulations that will expedite the removal of those persons found not to have the ability

02:03to be here illegally. Tell me about the Chinese nationals, 50,000 in the last two years. They

02:06have worked with partners throughout the hemisphere as part of the Los Angeles Declaration

02:10on Migration and Protection to impose new visa restrictions on a number of nationalities

02:18throughout the world who are entering the Americas. We have worked with partners to

02:25facilitate the repatriation of those persons who do not have the right to be here. Why

02:29are Chinese nationals coming here? Maybe because China doesn't have much hope or prosperity

02:36for them. Maybe they're trying to leave China. Well, that doesn't come under the definition

02:41of asylum, all right? Let me move on. It's very disturbing. And do not at all tell me

02:49or this committee that this administration, this president, has not let in over 7 to 8

02:55million illegal migrants since he took office and millions more in gotaways. Over 100,000

03:01Americans died of drug overdoses in 2023, mostly due to fentanyl. And so far this fiscal

03:06year, over 9,600 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the southern border, enough to kill

03:12around 2 billion people. In April, the Bipartisan Select Committee on CCP released a comprehensive

03:19and damning report finding that China directly subsidizes and incentivizes the manufacturing

03:26and trafficking of fentanyl materials and other synthetic narcotics. Assistant Secretary

03:32Robinson, what is your assessment of China's role in the fentanyl crisis?

03:38Thank you, ma'am, for that question. First, let me say that since we have reinvigorated

03:46the counter-narcotics working group, I've had four opportunities, two in Beijing, to

03:52speak to my PRC counterparts on this issue. They know that this is important to us, and

04:00they have taken some initial actions, notifying their chemical industry, for instance, about

04:07certain substances that should not be distributed to the United States. But they also know directly

04:14from me and from the Secretary that they're not doing enough.

04:19Yeah, 9,600 pounds. I mean, that's, as I said, enough to kill 2 billion people. And number

04:29one killer of 18 to 34-year-olds in the United States of America. This is a war on our youth.

04:35100,000 Americans died in 2023. I'm going to move on here. Assistant Secretary Nichols,

04:43last year, Brazilian President Lula da Silva allowed two of Iran's most advanced warships

04:48to dock in Rio de Janeiro. The Lula government granted these ships access to one of Brazil's

04:55most important ports despite U.S. sanctions and over the reported objections of the administration.

05:02What specific actions has the administration taken against the port in Rio de Janeiro and

05:08where the ships docked and the Brazilian companies that provided them services or accepted

05:14payments and the foreign companies that have entangled themselves with the port or those

05:18Brazilian companies since?

05:24We have discussed with countries around the region the importance of respect for the sanctions

05:32against Iran and its forces. We have raised the issue with the government of Brazil.

05:42Two of Iran's most advanced warships docked there. What specific action did we take?

05:50We have raised this issue with Brazilian officials and expressed our concern.

05:55All right, we've done nothing. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.

05:59I yield back. Committee will recess for three votes on the House floor.

‘Don’t Say That To Me’: Ann Wagner Berates Witness For Claiming Biden's Committed To Border Security

Category

Transcript

Recommended