Customs and Border Protection (CBP) releases their monthly statistics on illegal border crossings several weeks after the end of a given month. Recently, we received the figures for February and they were stunning. The CBP report showed that the number of migrant encounters at our southern border that month was the highest of any February on record. Since illegal migration increases and decreases seasonally, meaning that generally when the weather is warmer more people attempt to cross, comparing months on a year-over-year basis gives a good representation of the crisis we face rather than comparing the current month to the previous month (though this was an increase from January).

This past February reached 189,922 illegal encounters compared to 156,000 encounters last year. We should keep in mind that in President Trump’s last February in office, there were just 30,000 illegal encounters. The ongoing surge migrant encounters at our border began under the watch of the Biden Administration and could be fixed if we once again would enforce our laws, finish the border wall system, and reinstitute policies that were proven to secure our border like the Remain in Mexico policy.  

Each spring the U.S. House of Representatives sponsors the Artistic Discovery Competition, which was established to encourage and recognize the creative endeavors of our Nation’s high school students. Each Member of the U.S. House of Representatives coordinates a competition among the students attending high schools in the congressional district he or she currently represents.

In each participating district, students are invited to submit an original work created in a two-dimensional medium. Since its inception in 1982, more than 650,000 of our nation’s high school students have participated in the competition. The winning entry from each participating district is eligible to be flown out to Washington, D.C. for a national reception and is included in the annual National Exhibition, which is displayed in the Cannon House Office Building Tunnel for one year.

I am pleased to announce that I am currently accepting applications! 

Artwork submissions for the 2024 Artistic Discovery Competition may be delivered or mailed to my Fond du Lac district office on or before Monday, April 15, 2024. Please click here for more information.

I look forward to seeing this year’s work and meeting the talented artists!

I had a meeting on Monday with the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin to discuss the group's key priorities and strategies for providing healthier school meals.

I spoke at the Columbia County Unit meeting on March 28, where I shared updates on my work in D.C. and how I am fighting to return power to state and local governments.