I recently returned from my fourth trip this year to our Southern border, this time to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector. I have visited this Sector in previous years, and I can say with confidence that the situation is much worse now than under President Trump's leadership. That is no secret, though, as illegal encounters at the Southern border have risen every month since President Biden took office. Historically, we see a drop in illegal encounters in June that continues throughout the summer when the weather is hotter. But this year, we hit a 21-year high in June with 188,829 illegal encounters at our Southern border.

Here are more startling facts that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents shared with me during my trip.

• Because of the huge influx, almost half our agents are stuck inside processing illegal migrants and providing medical assistance instead of patrolling the border. They say this has contributed to a decline in morale.
• 21 years ago when the influx was this high, most of the illegal migrants were single adult males. Family units and unaccompanied children are making up a much larger portion of illegal migrants today, who take longer to process, so even though the raw numbers match what we have seen before, CBP's workload is much greater now.
• President Biden plans to remove Title 42 health protections by July 31. Title 42 allows CBP to prohibit entry into the U.S. of anyone who tries to bypass health screening by entering the country unlawfully. This comes after reports that COVID-19 cases are surging 900% at the RGV.
• Last month, CBP agents seized enough fentanyl to kill 238 million Americans.

Here are a few photos from my trip.

President Biden claims he inherited the border crisis, but that is flat-out false. The crisis became a disaster after he stopped construction of the border wall system and eliminated the Migrant Protection Protocols that kept migrants in Mexico until their immigration court date. As he and Vice President Harris continue to ignore the crisis, our men and women that are Border Patrol agents are becoming increasingly frustrated, people migrating to America are suffering, and the cartels are lining their pockets.

It is an embarrassment to our country that we have an administration whose focus is to spend our country into record levels of debt and supercharge inflation rather than securing our border and protecting migrants. 

This is the part where I usually say "now is the time that President Biden needs to address the border crisis", but that time has long passed. I have no confidence that he or Vice President Harris will stand up to the radical element of the Democratic party and do what is right for our country by securing our Southern border.

Nevertheless, I spoke on the House floor to update my colleagues on what I saw at the border and once again urge President Biden to step up to the plate.

The Cuban people have been demanding freedom for over 60 years. In recent weeks, protesters have taken to the streets, standing up to the communist regime that has brought pain, strife, and death to Cubans and economic ruin to Cuba since Fidel Castro first took control of the government in 1959. Communism always fails. Marxism always fails. The most egregious part of these political ideologies, however, is that in order to retain power, dictators will kill anyone standing in their way.

Enough is enough. I stand with the Cuban people. That is why I spoke on the House floor to urge President Biden to make sure America is doing all we can to help Liberate Cuba.

I also joined 142 of my colleagues in sending this letter to leaders of nations around the world calling on them to denounce the oppressive communist Cuban regime. Not a single House Democrat signed this letter.

One of the most important parts of my job is hearing your feedback so I can make your voice heard in Washington, D.C. That is why I'll be hosting in-person town hall meetings on Tuesday, August 3 and Wednesday, August 4.

I hope to see you there!

Tuesday, August 3rd

6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Omro Town Hall at Scott Park

515 E Main St.

Omro, WI 54963

Wednesday, August 4th

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Green Lake Town Hall at Town of Brooklyn

N5988 County Road A

Green Lake, Wisconsin 54941

1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Marquette Town Hall at Marquette County Health and Human Services

480 Underwood Ave.

Montello, WI 53949

After government-imposed lockdowns last year left small businesses and workers stranded, I am trying to help provide relief to them on their behalf. I was joined by a bipartisan group of my Wisconsin colleagues, Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Mark Pocan (WI-03), Ron Kind (WI-03), and Mike Gallagher (WI-08), in sending this letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration requesting a reply after months of delays so Wisconsin residents can receive the aid they deserve.

88 percent of Americans see inflation as a problem and we're right to be worried. Consumer prices rose 5.4% in June, outpacing expectations, so President Biden's plan to take out trillions more in debt and raise taxes will make this crisis worse for working-class Americans.

I spoke with local Wisconsin members of the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators about why it's so important that high school students realize the responsibility that comes with taking on student loan debt prior to committing to such a significant financial obligation.

I was proud to join Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) in defending your 2nd Amendment rights by standing up to an unconstitutional attempt to restrict the right of lawful gun ownership in the upcoming Supreme Court Case, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Cortlett. The rights of law-abiding citizens should never be undermined.

The Hyde Amendment prohibits the government from using tax dollars for abortions. The majority of Americans support this. I and 37 of my colleagues have asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a vote on a bill to make the Hyde Amendment permanent. She is still refusing.

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 6th 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).