The catastrophe at the southern border continues to jeopardize not only our nation’s national security, but also the safety and security of every American. I have covered this issue at length in previous newsletters to you, and this week, I’m going to share an important update on the work that House Republicans have undertaken to secure the nation’s borders and put an end to this out-of-control catastrophe. This week, we passed the Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Allow me to explain why this legislation is so important, and what it means for the nation.

Within this legislation, there are provisions that fund:

• Construction of the border wall.
• The hiring of 22,000 additional Border Patrol agents.
• Removal operations for illegal aliens.
• New technology to be deployed at the southern border.

While there are targeted funds that address these pressing needs at the border, there are also a series of commonsense cuts that will shield millions of taxpayer dollars. Within the Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, we have clawed back millions from the Department of Homeland Security. $30 million in funds for electric vehicles has been cut. $186.7 million that would have been used to reorganize the Department has been cut. $650 million has been cut from the Shelter and Services Program – created by the Biden administration – that would have encouraged even more illegal aliens to cross over into the country. 

There’s one additional measure that you’ll want to know about. This legislation also blocks the Biden administration’s $4.7 billion southwest border contingency slush fund that would provide funds to process and release more aliens into the country. As you may recall, there have been over 9.6 million encounters with illegal aliens at our nation’s borders since President Biden took office – this measure is a step in the right direction. You can rest assured that I will continue to fight so that border security can be fully restored. Anything less is unacceptable. 

Meaningful Progress

S. 2051, the bipartisan Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act, which I was proud to support, was recently signed into law. One of the longstanding priorities of our nation is to protect the most vulnerable children – it is an issue that transcends politics, and one that Americans wholeheartedly support. With this legislation having been signed into law, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) can continue its work serving as a national force for the common good. This law improves NCMEC’s ability to:

• Assist law enforcement to identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children.
• Provide education and technical assistance in conducting background checks on individuals working with children.
• Offer support services to missing and exploited children and their families.

ICYMI: Protecting Women and Girls

The Committee on Education and the Workforce, which I chair, recently passed a resolution to strike down the Biden administration’s radical agenda to eliminate existing protections for both women and girls. Sex differences are biological, an inescapable fact acknowledged by most Americans. The Biden rule to allow men to intrude into women’s spaces and take opportunities away from women is deeply unsettling and, frankly, unnatural. Women should be safe in intimate spaces, and men should not compete in women’s sports.

Quote of The Week

“Work hard at work worth doing.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

Have a blessed weekend,