Washington, D.C. - Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023:
"President Joe Biden has failed to address the crisis at our southern border. Since he became president, there have been over 5 million encounters. As Title 42 ends tonight, we can expect this number to surge even more. I have personally been to the border, spoken with Federal agents, and seen the difficulties faced by the brave men and women serving at the border.
"Border agents need all the tools they can to combat the human and drug trafficking crisis. In 2021, drug-related deaths exceeded 100,000 Americans, and fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. So many of our friends, neighbors, and communities have been harmed by the scourge of fentanyl in Southern Ohio. We must give Customs and Border Protection the ability to catch more of the illicit fentanyl that is flooding our porous border so that our friends, neighbors, and communities will not continue to be poisoned.
"The bill I voted for today will help address the border crisis by reestablishing operational control and fighting back against cartels. The Secure the Border Act establishes parameters for our asylum process that will help prevent exploitation of loopholes, ends incentives for illegal immigration like 'catch and release,' and finishes building sections of the border wall that President Biden discontinued. We must cut off illicit revenue to cartels and traffickers, and I'm proud to join my colleagues in supporting this bill that will help protect our nation."
The bill passed by a vote of 219-213 and awaits further consideration in the Senate.
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