Rep. Grothman Newsletter- Examining the Border Crisis

What's Ahead

1. The Origins of the Border Crisis.

2. The Fiscal State of the Nation.

3. Weekly Roundup.

4. My Contact Information.

The Origins of the Border Crisis

As your Representative, I have visited the Southern border many times to speak with Border Patrol agents who are on the front lines of the crisis. Every day, Border Patrol faces an influx of illegal immigrants – upwards of 10,000 per day – which has left the agency overwhelmed, discouraged, and eager for help. These brave men and women are grappling with the consequences of a deliberate policy shift that has upended agency tools and resources to combat illegal immigration.

In his first week in office, President Biden dismantled many proven mechanisms to deter illegal immigration, such as the Remain-in-Mexico policy and construction of the border wall system. In the aftermath of the termination of these policies, the Department of Homeland Security subsequently reported over 6.7 million illegal border crossings. Border Patrol encountered over 300,000 illegal immigrants in December alone, an all-time high for a single month. Under the Trump Administration, the average number of encounters per month was roughly 51,000. All in all, the blatant derailment of our immigration system has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis along our Southern border.

Without the necessary resources or manpower to effectively secure the border, this unprecedented spike in foot traffic along the Southern border has empowered criminal Cartels and overwhelmed Border Patrol. With record-setting numbers of illegal immigrants, I want your feedback on the status of our immigration system.

Do you believe President Biden should reinstate policies that helped secure our border?

Yes

No

This week, the House Oversight Committee convened for a hearing to investigate how the Biden administration has intentionally uprooted U.S. immigration law, leading to the worst border numbers in the history of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Now, criminal Cartels have effective control of our border, leaving migrants, particularly women and children, subject to heinous abuses at the hands of these Cartels.

During the hearing, I asked former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director, Tom Homan, about various contributing factors to the crisis. He shed light on current DHS Alejandro Secretary Mayorkas restricting ICE from carrying out the arrests of individuals that are in the country illegally, which has only further provoked mass illegal immigration to the U.S. from across the globe.

Mr. Homan spelled out how President Biden's policies stimulate, not forbid, illegal immigration: "They [illegal immigrants] know, and the Cartels sell the fact, you can cross the border illegally, you get processed quickly, you get flown to the city of your choice on taxpayer dime, you'll be put in a hotel and taken care of."

The Biden Administration's open-border agenda has undermined the rule of law and put the safety and security of the American people on the back burner. It has become increasingly clear that these failed policies are willful and intentional because President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas continue to sit by idly as Border Patrol is left to endure the relentless surge of illegal immigration and drug trafficking. In Washington, I will continue to call for more support for Border Patrol and shine a light on this devastating humanitarian crisis that continues to make America less and less safe.

Click the image above to view Grothman and Homan's full exchange

The Fiscal State of the Nation

This week, the House Budget Committee held a markup of three pieces of legislation – the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023, the Debt to GDP Transparency and Stabilization Act, and the Fiscal State of the Nation Act – all geared toward addressing excessive federal spending, our national debt, and our broke budget process. Specifically, the markup examined our need for a bipartisan Fiscal Commission, which would seek offer to a productive, de-politicized forum for educating the American public on our funding liabilities and identifying solutions for addressing our growing deficits.

During the markup, I was proud to vote in support of the creation of a bipartisan Fiscal Commission. Americans deserve to know the full size and scope of our fiscal crisis and a government that is working to devise a plan to improve the long-term fiscal outlook of our country.

Our government has no shortage of wasteful programs that contribute to our unsustainable national debt. I advised my colleagues on the Budget Committee that the first step to addressing Washington's habit of reckless spending is to look to the principles laid out in the 10th Amendment, which emphasize the importance of limiting federal powers and empowering individual states. State and local governments are more privy to the unique needs of individual communities, leaving them better equipped to carry out the goals of the lion's share of federal programs. Shrinking the size and influence of the federal government by sending many federal programs back to the state level would not only revive our economy, but also strengthen our national security and the security of future generations.

We must analyze the need for various government programs at the federal level, but let me make clear: I will not support legislation that makes cuts to Social Security. We can make meaningful strides in shrinking government and reining in federal spending without compromising Social Security benefits.

Click the image above to view Congressman Grothman's full remarks

Weekly Roundup

Thank you to Marian University for welcoming me this week to your Martin Luther King Jr. Community Prayer Breakfast. It was a pleasure to hear from Packer great, George Koonce, and chat with the keynote speaker, Marian University Senior Kevin Simmons.

Click the image above for more information

I was glad to spend time with the Kohler Fire Department at their brat fry last weekend to support the operations of the Department. Thank you for protecting our loved ones and local community.

Contact Me

As your Congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter, be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the Sixth District, and let them know that they can subscribe by clicking here.

You can also stay up-to-the-minute by following me on Facebook (Congressman Glenn Grothman), Twitter (@RepGrothman) and Instagram (@RepGlennGrothman).

Sincerely,

Glenn Grothman
Member of Congress