'This Didn't Happen By Accident': GOP Lawmaker Hammers President Biden For 'Failing' At The Border

6 months ago

During Wednesday's debate on the House floor, Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-ID) introduced an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations package.

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Transcript

00:00I rise today in support of my amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

00:06President Biden has overseen the worst border crisis in our nation's history.

00:11Since the beginning of this administration, nearly 8 million illegal immigrants have crossed

00:15over our southern border, with 2 million evading capture from Border Patrol.

00:20Even known terrorists and drugs have come through this wide-open border.

00:26But this didn't happen by accident.

00:28The administration's policies have created this crisis by failing to enforce our laws,

00:33not holding drug traffickers accountable for their crimes, and not finishing the wall.

00:39This amendment exposes this administration's refusal to build the wall and secure our border.

00:45It directs the Department of Homeland Security to use the money confiscated from the drug

00:50cartels to build the border wall and protect our communities.

00:55The cartels do not deserve to keep a single penny of their money they've made smuggling

01:00deadly drugs that are coming into our communities.

01:03They should deserve jail time for their crimes.

01:07I urge my colleagues to support my amendment because the American people deserve secure

01:11borders and safe communities.

01:14Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.

01:15Gentlemen, from Iowa Reserves, what purposes does the gentlelady from Illinois rise?

01:20I claim time in opposition.

01:23Chair recognizes the chairwoman from Illinois.

01:28Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:29We don't even need to discuss the reasons why wasting funds on additional miles of wall

01:34is a bad idea.

01:35The amendment does nothing but make an ill attempt to invest in an ineffective and costly

01:40response to the challenges we are facing at the border.

01:43Furthermore, it also calls on the DHS Secretary to take an action regarding the use of funds

01:48that Congress has already determined he does not control.

01:53While CBP is the primary agency responsible for the seizure of these assets at the border,

01:59the proceeds typically go into the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, which is managed by the Treasury

02:05Department.

02:06The allowable uses of these funds are defined in law, and there is an established process

02:11for which the Secretary of Homeland Security can make requests to the Treasury Secretary

02:16for a portion of these funds.

02:18A significant portion of the proceeds are necessary for the agencies responsible for

02:23storing and maintaining seized and forfeited assets and a series of other mandatory requirements.

02:30Requiring that all of the funds seized at the southern border be used for an ineffective,

02:36outdated border wall would create a problem with the execution of the fund, causing it

02:41to quickly become insolvent.

02:43I oppose this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

02:47I yield back.

02:48The gentlelady yields back.

02:50The gentleman from Iowa is recognized.

02:52I am prepared to close.

02:54Gentleman's recognized.

02:55Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

02:57This amendment is not controversial.

02:59It's actually very common sense.

03:02We are taking drugs seized by the cartels, and we're using the money that's also seized

03:09by the cartels to build the wall.

03:11We need to build the wall to secure our border.

03:14We should have the criminals that are endangering our communities help pay for this project.

03:20Very simple.

03:21With that, I yield back.

'This Didn't Happen By Accident': GOP Lawmaker Hammers President Biden For 'Failing' At The Border

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