Congressmen Inspect Southwest Border

This past weekend, I joined a group of my colleagues to inspect critical areas of the southwest border and see first-hand how we can best achieve security and defeat any threats to our nation. The tour took us to McAllen, Texas, as well as spots along the Arizona-Mexico border and the California-Mexico border. While the President continues to ignore this crisis, our porous border remains a threat to the security of individuals and families in the 19th District of Texas. In the absence of leadership from the President, Congress must now address this national security issue.

We received updates and briefings from our brave U.S. Border Patrol Agents, U.S. Coast Guard crews, and border sheriffs, about the daily challenges they face. They fight these battles on the front lines, and it was truly an honor to be in the company of these men and women who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

We also met with businesses, farmers, and ranchers in the area who shared many stories and accounts of the problems they face from our unsecured borders. I expect that the House will vote on legislation soon to secure our borders. We need to get this right. I expect that the focus of this legislation will be securing the borders ONLY. Dealing with other issues related to immigration and immigration reform will come later.

You can visit my Facebook page to see photos from the tour.