| Championing Border Security and a Safer America Watch my interview in full here. On Wednesday, I joined Fox News’ America’s Newsroom to discuss the Biden administration’s open border policy, which has motivated millions of illegal immigrants to journey to the U.S. and unlawfully enter our country. I highlighted the 10 pieces of border security legislation I’m championing to secure our southern border and commonsense solutions to keep the American people safe.
Watch my interview on Fox News here. Supporting the Jewish Community I was honored to address the Orthodox Union, an organization that has been instrumental in providing support to the Jewish community and spreading awareness about antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. I will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself against brutal terrorists. We have a moral obligation to this world, the state of Israel and our conscience to fight back against Hamas and win.
Read more about my speech to the Orthodox Union here. Fighting to Save Lives During the Fentanyl Crisis Watch my full opening statement here. I continued using my platform as the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee to advocate for Americans who have been impacted by the fentanyl crisis. This week, I led a hearing on the crisis and what Congress can do to help protect Americans and our communities by combatting the flow of this deadly drug into our country. I once again urged my colleagues to pass my FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the Chinese suppliers and Mexican cartels operating the mass fentanyl trafficking operation that is poisoning our communities and killing Americans. I was grateful Grammy award-winning artist Jelly Roll participated in our hearing as a witness, passionately sharing his story of loss and recovery. The fentanyl crisis affects Americans from all walks of life – every class, every race, every place. If you want to hear more from my hearing and Jelly Roll’s story, here’s one exchange I had with him that I thought was particularly powerful.
Read more about the hearing here. Standing Up for States’ Right to Protect Their Communities By election day 2024, around 10 million illegal immigrants will have been processed into our country, with 300,000 pouring into the U.S. in December alone. This is the largest invasion on our southern border the U.S. has ever seen, aided and fueled by the Biden administration.
Now, as border states like Texas and Arizona fill gaps in the incomplete border wall, the administration is suing them in a direct attack on states’ right to protect their communities. I joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and my Republican colleagues in introducing the Creating Obstructions Necessary to Address Illegal and Nefarious Entry Rapidly (CONTAINER) Act so that border states can continue to place temporary barriers, including shipping containers, on the southern border and keep their families safe.
Read more about the CONTAINER Act here. Championing Children and Parents The government can never replace the personal love and care parents provide to their children. Moms and dads have a fundamental right to raise their children because they know best. Yet far too often, the federal government tries to kick parents out of the driver’s seat, and our kids are paying the price.
Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) joined me in introducing the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act to affirm every parent’s fundamental right to bring up their children as they see fit. I will always fight to protect the rights of both parents and children so moms and dads are able to guide and nurture their children during their most formative years. Read more about the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act here. Celebrating our Law Enforcement Officers On Tuesday, I celebrated National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day! Despite the rising crime and record number of illegal immigrants overwhelming our southern border, America’s law enforcement officers rise to the challenge to protect and serve, day and night, rain or shine. Setting aside a day to honor their sacrifice is the least we can do to thank them for their selfless service.
Read more about National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day here. Combating Human Trafficking As January marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Awareness Month, I’m highlighting the troubling increase in human trafficking and sexual exploitation caused by the Biden administration’s open border policy. In 2022, 150,000 unaccompanied children crossed into the U.S. - sixty percent of these children are likely to be exploited through child pornography and drug trafficking. Furthermore, nearly one-third of women and children are sexually assaulted crossing the border.
I’ve pressed the Biden administration to end open border policies that increase human trafficking and sexual violence. I will continue to champion 10 bills in Congress to disincentivize illegal immigrants, including vulnerable women and children, from embarking on the dangerous journey to the U.S. We owe it to them to stand up for human dignity and end the Biden administration’s humanitarian crisis at its open border.
Read more about my work to combat human trafficking here. | 