I came to Washington to fix it.

The status quo — even the Republican one — will not save our nation. That’s why I fought tooth and nail to ensure that the groundwork is laid for the real change that Americans voted for in November. 

The House Rules may seem like something insignificant, but they dictate the legislative process. However, the legislative process has not worked for the people for decades. Instead, Congressional Leadership has held significant power over bills, ramming them through for a vote without providing Members anytime to read them or amend them. 

Though it seemed chaotic on TV, last week’s Speaker vote was a display of our Republic working the way it should. While not always pretty, having a healthy debate on issues is what Members of Congress were elected to do. Our Founding Fathers designed Congress to be a deliberative body where the People’s voices are heard. Simply put, this is not how Congress has operated for decades. The agreement I helped negotiate last week with Republican Leadership will ensure that the House works better for the people.

Here are some of the changes I negotiated for:

• Ensuring that Members of Congress have at least 3 days to read a bill before it is voted on;
• Ensuring that any amendments offered to a bill that cut spending receive a vote;
• Ending proxy voting, which allows Members to stay at home and have another Member vote on their behalf;
• Requiring bills to focus on a single topic, instead of packaging several unrelated bills together and forcing a vote;
• Prohibiting Omnibus bills, which are the massive spending bills that cover all of the federal government;
• Taking a vote on a balanced budget amendment, a bill on term limits, and a package of border security bills.

You can watch me discuss this on Fox and Friends HERE.

This week, President Biden traveled to the border for the first time. Instead of trying to learn more about the humanitarian crisis his administration is fueling, he only used his visit as a  three-hour pitstop on his way to a summit in Mexico. The thousands of illegal immigrants sleeping on the streets of El Paso every night were left out of his view, proving that this visit was indeed only a photo-op. 

This trip was nothing more than “checking a box,” and it is deeply disheartening to see the Biden administration repeatedly refuse to consider proper solutions to this crisis. 

In fiscal year 2022:

• Over 2.4 million migrants were apprehended by DHS trying to cross into the U.S., which does not include the 600,000 “gotaways” that were successful in illegally entering the U.S. 
• Over 50 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder were trafficked into the U.S. This represents 379 million lethal doses of fentanyl — enough to kill each American. 
• Nearly 1,000 illegal immigrants died crossing the border trying to seek entry into the U.S.
• Cartel profits from human trafficking have reached $13B, up from $500M in 2018

So far in fiscal year 2023, border crossings are up 40%. This Administration's most recent solution is to expand parole for migrants from certain countries and allow them to book an appointment with CBP on their phones for entry into the U.S. Instead of implementing policies that only incentivize migrants to come to the U.S., we have to enact policies that will deter them. The Texas Delegation and I have a package of proposals for this issue. 

I would encourage Biden to visit other border towns in Texas — not just El Paso — and get a closer look at how his “open borders” policies are upending the lives of South Texans. 

The Republican Majority has begun implementing our agenda to fight for the American people and conservative values. This week alone we have:

• Reopened the House of Representatives: The People’s House has been locked down since 2020 under Pelosi’s order.
• Passed a bill to defund Biden’s 87,000 IRS agents: Despite the Democrats’ clamoring, nonpartisan analysts concluded that these agents would be auditing middle-class Americans.
• Established a Committee to investigate the politicization of the Department of Justice: This Committee will investigate the FBI’s misconduct, the partisan January 6th Committee, and more.
• Established a Committee to counter the threat of Communist China: Concerns over China are at an all-time high as it continues to steal our intellectual property, buy our farmland, and threaten Taiwan.
• Passed a resolution to condemn the attacks on pregnancy centers and other Pro-Life organizations: Following the Dobbs v. Jackson leak, violence against Pro-Life institutions such as pregnancy centers skyrocketed. Nobody should fear for their life when seeking such support.

This is only the start. Here’s some of what is expected in the next few weeks:

• A vote on the Fair Tax Act: This bill would reform the tax system and protect Americans from the IRS. 
• Hold hearings on the Biden Border Crisis: Despite the worst two years in the history of our border security, Democrats did not hold a single hearing on the crisis.
• Vote on the Texas Border Plan: Recently I, along with other Texas Republicans, laid out a four-part framework on how we will work to secure the border.
• Vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment: Like business owners, Congress needs to make sure that its budget is balanced and that it isn’t spending money it lacks. 

• I spoke at a press conference with Majority Leader Scalise to discuss the start of the 118th Congress.
• I recently joined the Bob Jones show, which you can listen to HERE.

God Bless,

Rep. Michael Cloud

Member of Congress

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