Secretary Mayorkas Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee Greetings! I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recap on what happened last week in Texas' 22nd District and the United States House of Representatives. This Week in Washington Rep. Troy E. Nehls Questions Secretary Mayorkas This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to conduct oversight of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to examine the agency's operational failures, the unprecedented border crisis, and the abandonment of immigration enforcement under the so-called leadership of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. During the hearing, I asked Secretary Mayorkas to watch a video of President Clinton's 1995 State of the Union Address, where he highlighted the importance of border security. President Clinton's remarks received bipartisan applause throughout the chamber. Sadly, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refused to stand with me in applause this week, as they did in 1995. Because the Democrats’ progressive policies are no longer acceptable to Americans, President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas have invited over 5.5 million illegal aliens to cross our southern border to interfere with our elections. I highlighted a report from the Heritage Foundation, which explained non-governmental organizations (NGO) movement of illegal aliens to 431 of the 435 congressional districts across our country since January 2022. NGOs notoriously provide cellphones, money, and means of transportation for illegal aliens that cross our border. The Heritage report revealed that of the 52 congressional districts with the highest rate of tracked devices, 71% were Republican congressional districts. This is not a coincidence. A flood of illegal immigrants means a continual rise in surplus laborers, which drives downs the wages of existing middle-and-lower class job holders until they leave the workforce and are forced to go on welfare, with the hopes that they become loyal supporters of the Democrat party. We cannot allow this to happen. Secretary Mayorkas has betrayed constitutional order, neglected his duty, and violated the trust of the American people. As a nation of laws, I look forward to his impeachment. Watch my remarks from the hearing HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends Screening of Sound of Freedom This week, I was able to watch the Sound of Freedom in the United States Capitol. Our nation's border is wide-open to bad hombres, unaccompanied alien children (UAC), and people from all over the world. President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have lost complete operational control of the southern border. The consequences of this pure negligence have resulted in the Biden Administration losing track of over 85,000 migrant children in the United States. I was glad to join Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel to watch this movie that shows the heartbreaking truth of the reality of so many children within our own country and across the world. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Questions the DEA Administrator The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance conducted a hearing to examine the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) operations, including its handling of America's unprecedented fentanyl and opioid crisis. During the hearing, I was able to talk about my time as Sheriff of Fort Bend County and my experience working with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HITDA) program. HITDA was created by Congress through the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Of the 33 HIDTA teams, four are in our great state of Texas. I was also able to question DEA Administrator Anne Milgram about how HIDTA teams play a role in working with local law enforcement to combat the fentanyl crisis. As you know, fentanyl is the number one cause of death for Americans ages 18-45. However, for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget, the DEA requested $7 million for zero-emission vehicles. I told Administrator Milgram that this money should be used to tackle the most devastating drug crisis in our nation's history, rather than advance the Left's radical, woke energy agenda. Watch my remarks from the hearing HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes 'YES' and Passes the FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations The United States House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill which includes funding for the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies. This legislation honors House Republicans' commitment to our nation's veterans by fully funding veterans' health care programs and fully funding veterans' benefits and VA programs. This legislation also supports a strong national security by providing funds to combat China, our nation's greatest foreign adversary, and makes critical cuts to wasteful spending to promote or advance critical race theory. Every single Democrat voted against this piece of legislation. My House Republican colleagues and I remain committed to supporting our nation's veterans. This Week in TX-22 Congressional Youth Academy Applications Are Now Open My office invites all high school students in the 22nd District of Texas to apply for the 2023 Congressional Youth Academy. This academy will have guest speakers from various levels of government to avail students of the pivotal role of lawmakers, experts, and citizens in a representative democracy. The top 50 applicants will receive an intimate and in-depth understanding of the role of our nation’s lawmakers and be asked to provide fresh ideas from the council’s mock Congress. This program is a one-day event intended to bolster student experience and enhance resumes. To allow more students to apply to the Congressional Youth Academy, the date to submit a completed application has been moved to September 23, 2023. The Congressional Youth Academy will now be held on October 21, 2023. More details will be released upon acceptance to the program. The checklist and application can be found on my website. If you have any questions, please call my district office at (346) 762-6600. Department of State: Update on Passport Processing Times The Department of State is reporting passport processing times can be up to 10-13 weeks for routine processing and 7-9 weeks for expedited processing. These times do not include mail delivery service estimates. My team would be happy to assist you with your passport issues. If you are planning on traveling internationally soon, please reach out to my district office, (346) 762-6600, at least two weeks in advance of your travel date to allow my casework team optimal time to communicate with Passport Agencies. Service Academy Nominations Are Now Open My office is now accepting Service Academy Nominations. One of the privileges of serving in the United States House of Representatives is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young people from the 22nd Congressional District of Texas to be considered for appointment to our nation’s service academies. Admission to a service academy is a two-tiered process. First, the candidate must meet the minimum standards set by the individual academy. Second, the candidate must complete the congressional application by October 6, 2023, to be considered for an interview in our office with the nomination review board. Please note, the ultimate selection of appointees rests solely with academy officials and is based on their competitive evaluation of all nominees. The checklist and application can be found on my website. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call my district office at (346) 762-6600. LAST WEEK'S POLL QUESTION RESULTS Should fentanyl dealers receive the death penalty?  YES 73.7% NO 26.3% Follow Us ‌ ‌ ‌ We Want to Hear From You I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE. Use this QR code to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and join my Newsletter for updates. It's an honor to represent you and the great state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Should China be able to purchase U.S. farmland? Let me know below Yes Select No Select Sincerely, Troy E. Nehls Member of Congress ‌ By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls Rep. Nehls | 1104 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]