Rep. Rose Delivers Remarks on Border Crisis Ahead of 2024 State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) spoke on the House Floor Wednesday about President Biden’s recent visit to Brownsville, Texas, and his call for Congressional Republicans to pass border legislation.

The full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:

Mister Speaker, tomorrow, this chamber will host President Biden as he delivers his third State of the Union address. He likely will tout his anti-energy agenda and out-of-control government spending that has resulted in crippling inflation not seen in decades. He will also attempt to blame Congressional Republicans for his own failure to secure our borders. Which, as most Americans know is a crisis caused by the president.

In a rare recent visit to the border in Brownsville, Texas, President Biden expressed a dire need for Republicans to quote – show a little spine – and pass legislation. Some of the folks living in that border town saw straight through the visit. One resident put it best. “By a stroke of a pen,” he said, “you could stop this.” “You don’t need Congress.” Others called the visit a too little, too late. I couldn’t agree more.

This isn’t just an important issue for the folks living along the border. In fact, this issue is the number one issue in the country.

It’s an issue in my home state, where 50 Tennessee National Guard soldiers volunteered to deploy to the southern border to help Border Patrol officials combat crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State, because of its deep tradition of military service, a nickname that comes with a lot of pride. It’s just unfortunate that 50 men and women are having to do what the president could do – but won’t – and work to secure the border.  

This is a self-inflicted crisis that and has turned every state into a border state.

The president halted border wall construction and ended the successful ‘Remain in Mexico’ program. Since taking office, he’s also admitted more than 1 million illegal immigrants into the country in a blatant abuse of executive parole authority. Despite having no way of tracking many of them, the Biden Administration continues this historic catch-and-release scheme. It sends a message that our borders are open. None of these disastrous policies require an act of Congress, just as reversing them won’t require new legislation.

There have been more than 8.7 million illegal border crossings nationwide under President Biden, more than 7.2 million crossings at the southern border alone. That’s greater than the populations of 36 U.S. states.

More than 20,000 Communist Chinese nationals have illegally crossed the southern border since Oct. 1. They make up the fastest-growing demographic entering our country illegally. You don’t need a spy balloon if you can walk right in.

For 35 months in a row under this administration, the number of illegal immigrants’ encounters were higher than the worst month under President Trump. We’re on track to break more records this fiscal year, as CBP has already reported one million encounters.

I’d argue we no longer have a border crisis in this country, Mister Speaker. We have a border catastrophe.  

You can watch the speech here.