Dear Friend,

With a few House races left to be called, it is very likely that Republicans will take control of the majority in the 118th Congress. This creates new opportunities for our state and for our nation. Republicans in the House will be able to conduct oversight on the Biden Administration's terrible policies and, with Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy the most likely Member to take the Speaker's gavel, we will be able to bring conservative legislation to the floor for consideration. However, that won't happen until January 3rd, 2022, so I will continue to fight against irresponsible legislation as we approach the end of the year. Currently, in what is known as the "lame duck" session, Republicans are prepared to defend against a last-minute push by Democrats to enact irresponsible legislation. 

We are also preparing for a new Congress in which Republicans will be in the majority and working to fulfill the pledge we made to America — dubbed the Republican Commitment to America. Included in that commitment is a promise to work towards building a nation that's safe. We have pinpointed many areas that we can focus on to help reduce crime across our nation, but one of the most important of these promises is securing our southern border.

This week, I questioned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, pointing to statistics to show where the Biden Administration has failed and calling on the Biden Administration to take steps to secure the border by removing ineffective leaders and working with a Republican controlled House of Representatives. You can find a clip of my statement below and, if you would prefer to read it, a transcript of my statement as well. 

"We as a committee, we as a Congress, we as the American public, we want to have faith that you and your agency are seeking to get this challenge under control, but I’m looking at statistics, and statistics tell me that that is not the case,” Guest said. “Statistics tell me that the border is only getting worse, and that since this Administration has taken control, that the policies that you have put in place have failed — and that they have failed miserably. We know that [Customs and Border Protection] Commissioner Magnus recently was forced to resign from office, and I applaud you for removing him. I thought he did a terrible job, and I hope there are other people that you will remove and that you will work with a Republican controlled Congress to find a way to secure the border."

These glaring statistics show how this Administration has failed the American people:

• Unprecedented 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY22;
• 856 migrant deaths in FY22 alone;
• 98 people on terror watchlists arrested crossing between ports of entry;
• Enough fentanyl seized in FY 22 to kill nearly 3.3 billion people, over 10 times the U.S. population;
• 107,000 overdose deaths from synthetic drugs;
• Over 150,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) encountered.
  

In his response, Secretary Mayorkas tried to justify his Administration's actions and turn the blame back on Congress. We have seen this tactic before. Earlier this year, when I questioned Secretary Mayorkas in another hearing, he claimed that the border was secure, a false claim that we have continued to see touted by White House officials despite the evidence to the contrary. In the hearing, I called out Secretary Mayorkas's claims as untrue and set the record straight. You can watch my previous interaction with the Secretary below. 

It's my hope that we will be able to conduct even more oversight on this Administration in the majority, and I will continue to fight back against this Administration's policies and its attempts to mislead the American people.