Time to Follow Through on Border Security

With the Senate taking up the border security bill we passed in the House last week to construct 700 miles of physical fence and a virtual fence along the entire border, now is the time it must be serious and follow through. It is clear to me that what we need to secure the border is the proper combination of boots, barriers and technology. I call on the Senate to join the House and take action to pass this meaningful legislation.

Last month, I took a trip to the Southern border, to see for myself just what was needed to secure that border. I saw, that if left unchecked, illegal immigration will continue to threaten our national security, have compounding affects on our public systems and corroborate a culture of lawlessness. In order to stop the harmful components of illegal immigration, we have to attack the problem at its root, our borders. If we don’t secure our borders first, any other comprehensive reform will be undermined by those who wish to harm our country by finding safe haven on a
porous border.

The border agents I talked with while on the Southern border are ready and willing to do the job if given the proper tools. This bill is will provide some of those tools and we must provide them now to stop this growing problem.

Border security is long overdue and it has to be addressed before Congress can implement any sensible, comprehensive immigration proposals. As we continue to work toward a solution to stop illegal immigration, I will persist in supporting only limited, legal immigration to keep our economy stable and our families safe.