Republicans’ failed immigration solutions

Dear Neighbors,

I voted against an unworkable immigration and border security bill from House Republicans this week. House Democrats are serious about solutions to our immigration system, which requires comprehensive solutions – not political stunts.

This bill does nothing to stem the deadly flow of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine into the United States. More than 90 percent of seizures of these drugs occur at U.S. ports of entry. Democrats take the fentanyl crisis seriously and have prioritized drug detection and funded more than $400 million for inspection systems at the southwest land border.

This Republican bill would destroy the asylum system, cripple our ports of entry, force unaccompanied children into dangerous situations, jail families and children indefinitely, and create disorder at the border. With this bill, right-wing Republicans are only embracing the Trump Administration’s failed and immoral immigration and border policies.

Democrats have increased investments in safety and personnel, worked to open legal immigration pathways, and begun to address root causes of migration. House Republicans are trying to cut this funding to pay for more tax giveaways to billionaires.

Protecting Your Privacy Online

I wrote to the heads of data broker companies this week, requesting information to help the Committee protect Americans’ data from misuse. Many people don’t know what a data broker is, but it’s shocking how much information they have compiled on each of us.

Anyone who uses social media platforms, including children, share information that Big Tech can use for profit. Companies that collect and profit using personal information about consumers have information covering almost every U.S. household and commercial transaction. In the letter, I asked the companies for information pertinent to helping the Committee understand how data brokers purchase, collect, use, license, and sell Americans’ data.

Data brokers can target children with manipulative advertisements or create people searching products that can lead to stalking, harassment, or even violence. They can also sell their troves of information to scammers, including those that target the elderly with bogus sweepstakes and technical repair scams.

This letter is part of my ongoing efforts to protect Americans’ privacy online. As Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress, I authored the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, which would establish the country's first federal framework to protect consumer data privacy and security. This important bill would grant consumers meaningful control over their personal information and provide enhanced privacy protections for children. I will continue to fight to pass bipartisan data privacy reform this Congress. Read more here

Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone