Henry Cuellar

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a historic milestone for my hometown--the 270th anniversary of the founding of the City of Laredo, Texas. Founded in 1755 along the banks of the Rio Grande, Laredo stands as one of the oldest communities in our Nation--established even before the birth of the United States. Originally known as Villa de San Agustin de Laredo, it was founded by Don Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera. Nearly three centuries later, we continue to celebrate the enduring spirit, culture, and resilience that define our community. Throughout its history, Laredo has flown under seven different flags: Spain, France, Mexico, the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and ultimately, the United States. Each chapter reflects the complex and vibrant story of a city shaped by shifting borders and strong people. Today, Laredo and its sister city, Nuevo Laredo, form the Dos Laredos--creating the largest inland port in both the United States and Mexico. This dynamic economic engine is a hub for land, rail, and air cargo, driving billions in trade annually and supporting families across both nations. But Laredo is more than just a commercial gateway--it is a cultural cornerstone. From the Washington's Birthday Celebration, one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country, to our strong educational institutions and proud neighborhoods, Laredo remains rooted in tradition while embracing innovation and growth. Mr. Speaker, Laredo is a city of hardworking families, a city rich in heritage, and a city that stands as a testament to the enduring promise of the American Dream. Happy 270th birthday to Laredo. May we continue to thrive for generations to come.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Juan Francisco ``Don Pancho'' Ochoa of Laredo, Texas. Mr. Ochoa is a longtime Laredo restaurateur and is integral to the culture of South Texas and beyond. Born in a large family in Sinaloa, Mexico, Mr. Ochoa first operated a small shoe store. After creating a novel way to marinate chicken, Mr. Ochoa knew he had a successful business opportunity. Soon after, Mr. Ochoa's restaurant success began in 1975 when he opened El Pollo Loco, a legendary restaurant chain across Mexico and into California. In 1987, Mr. Ochoa founded Taco Palenque, a second successful Mexican fast-casual chain. Today, Taco Palenque features 42 locations in Texas and Mexico. Finally, in Laredo 2005, Mr. Ochoa started Palenque Grill, a family- style restaurant featuring live music and authentic Mexican recipes, many of which were created by his wife, Flerida. Mr. Ochoa is an exemplar of the American Dream. It is our country's promise that any dedicated, hard-working individual can build a business and thrive. As someone born and raised in Laredo, Texas, I have always enjoyed spending time with family and friends at Taco Palenque and Palenque Grill. These restaurants are an institution in South Texas and are a cornerstone of our community. On top of achieving the American Dream, Mr. Ochoa is also one of Laredo's greatest cultural ambassadors. His restaurants and kitchens bring the cuisine of south Texas and northern Mexico to the world. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating ``Don Pancho'' Ochoa for his incredible success. Let us all strive to share our passion for our communities and honor those who show what it means to be an American.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate Texas State Representative Tracy King. King has served in the Texas state legislature since 1995. We actually served together for a few years in Austin, Texas. I want to wish him well as he enters retirement. Representative King graduated from Carrizo Springs High School, Southwest Texas Junior College, and Texas A&M University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering. He spent his professional career providing hearing aids across south Texas and later sold his business to spend more time with his beloved family. He served his first term back in 1995 representing nearby Uvalde, Texas. In 2005, he was elected to represent the 80th House district, which covers much of my district--parts of Webb County along with the entirety of Atascosa, Dimmit, Frio, Uvalde, and Zavala counties. Representative King has had a storied history in the Texas State House. Over the course of his fifteen terms, King has served as chairman of the committees on Border and International Affairs, Agriculture and Livestock, and Licensing and Administrative Procedures. He currently serves as the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. King has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the First United Methodist Church and is a past president of the Kiwanis Club and the Texas Hearing Aid Association. I am proud to honor the career of this great public servant. South Texas owes him a great debt for his decades of hard work to improve the lives of all his constituents.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor forty years of the Laredo Daybreak Rotary Club. Their civic and community engagement has been a force in south Texas for decades, and I cannot wait to see what they can accomplish in the future. Founded in 1984, the Laredo Daybreak Rotary Club has kept a keen focus on the healthcare of the community. And that focus has produced incredible results. The club's first major initiative, helping Rotary International eradicate polio, raised more than 100 percent of their chapter goal. They then raised $125,000 to establish aerobic exercise courts on several school campuses across the district. Laredo Daybreak Rotary Club also put on annual screenings for glaucoma and assisted with Shots Across Texas. In districts like mine, such work is extremely important in promoting a healthy community. They are also involved in international health projects like building a clinic in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. I applaud them for it. I also want to take note of perhaps one of their greatest accomplishments. The Laredo Daybreak Rotary Club has presented $100,000 for the endowment of Texas A&M International University and another $100,000 for Laredo Community College. These funds, which were raised by an annual raffle originally started to help eradicate polio, are integral in promoting higher education in south Texas. The club also presents $1,000 scholarships each year to a graduating student from all eight of Laredo's high schools. Mr. Speaker, Laredo has been forever changed by the incredible work of our local Rotary organization. It's been an inspiring four decades: I look forward to their continued work in the local community.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the service of Mr. Steve E. Landin of Laredo, Texas. A lifelong civil servant, Mr. Landin has dedicated his career to the people of South Texas. He began his career with the City of Laredo in April 1990 and obtained an Associate's Degree in Fire Technology, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Finance and Economics with an emphasis in Fire Administration. Over the course of his 30-year career with the City of Laredo, Mr. Landin served as Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for twelve years. He retired from the city in May 2020 and joined Webb County to serve as Emergency Management Coordinator for two years. Then, in August 2022, Mr. Landin rejoined the City of Laredo to serve as Assistant City Manager and Acting Chief of Police. In his role as an Assistant City Manager, he oversees more than ten different departments in his current role. This makes him one of only 22 people in American history to serve as both Police Chief and Fire Chief in their community. He's also giving his expertise back to the community. Mr. Landin is an instructor in rescue, EMS, Haz-Mat, Peace Officer, and Fire Service. He is also a Catholic Deacon. He serves the Diocese of Laredo at St Patrick Catholic Church in Laredo. Mr. Speaker, let us all dedicate ourselves to public service just as Mr. Landin has.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate the life of Dr. Glen Tate. He passed away this year after a long life spent advocating for the Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas. Born in February 1948 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Dr. Tate's childhood was spent on a small farm near Victoria, and quickly moved to Devine. Here, his love for all animals, but especially horses and cattle, was born. Dr. Tate took this love and turned it into a career. In 1973, after graduating from Texas A&M, Tate received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and opened two practices, with one in Alberta, Canada, and the other in Lytle, Texas. Beyond his business successes, Dr. Tate was also renowned for his heifers. His Brangus heifers were frequently the highest selling in many special replacement female sales. An avid rodeo fan, Dr. Tate traveled across this continent to watch the sport and spend time with his treasured friends in team roping. Dr. Tate was especially dedicated to the Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas, where he served on the ICA Board of Directors and chaired the committee on animal health and safety. He was also an active member of the South Central Texas ICA chapter and served on their board. In 2019, he was awarded the South Central Texas Independent Cattlemen's Association Trailblazer Award at the annual ICA convention. Dr. Tate is survived by his wife of 55 years Diana and 3 children, Justin, Jennifer and Gaylyn. Glen especially loved family time with his 6 grandchildren--Lane, Bradley, Tyler, Taryn, Dalton and Josie, as well as 3 great grandchildren--Cohen, Stevie Lynn and Lottie Jane.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding. I thank her staff also for the hard work and long hours they have been putting in. I thank also my good friend from American Samoa and her staff for getting this bill to the floor. This bill allows the Starr-Camargo Bridge, a privately-owned toll bridge between Texas and Mexico, to expand and become multimodal. This bridge's previous authorization for construction expired, so we are coming back for an extension to make sure that we pursue the planned expansion project and also add a rail bridge addition. The planned expansion will ease congestion, reduce truck idling at the port of entry, and alleviate the supply chain issues as the gentlewoman from North Carolina just mentioned a few minutes ago. This expansion will be paid by tolls, so no cost to the taxpayers. This bridge will serve as the vital trade link between the United States and Mexico. Keep in mind that the trade between the U.S. and Mexico has been tremendous. In fact, just last year, the trade between the U.S. and Mexico, our number one trading partner, reached $798.9 billion. I say that in the next 4 or 5 years, the trade between the U.S. and Mexico will increase to a trillion dollars of trade. If you look at it right now, every minute you have $1.4 million of trade between the U.S. and Mexico. What does that mean? That means jobs, not only for the ranchers, not only for industries, not only on this side, but also on the Mexican side so people will stay over there and work over there on the other side. This trade is important for farmers, for ranchers, for manufacturers, and producers. This bridge is not only important to south Texas, my district, but it is also important for the whole Nation. Mr. Speaker, I thank not only my good friend from American Samoa and her staff, but also my good friend the gentlewoman from North Carolina and her staff, for their work. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Senator John Cornyn for his leadership and Senator Cruz for getting this bill on the floor. I thank Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Meeks, and my good friend from San Antonio, Congressman Castro, for working to get this bill on the floor. I look forward to getting the President to sign this bill so we can continue creating jobs on both sides of the Rio Grande.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the legacy of the legendary Juan Jose ``Johnny'' Canales, who passed away on June 12, 2024. Johnny was a cultural icon whose influence on the Latino community, particularly in South Texas, is uncontested. Beyond Johnny's beloved music and television host careers, he was a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless aspiring Hispanics and Latinos. Canales was born in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and raised in Robstown, Texas. He's best remembered today for his groundbreaking bilingual variety show, The `Johnny Canales Show.' This show began in 1983 in Corpus Christi and provided an unprecedented stage for Tejano and Latino artists when such opportunities were scarce. It became a vital part of the cultural fabric of South Texas and beyond, showcasing emerging talents and giving them a chance to shine. Johnny's enthusiastic support of young artists helped launch numerous careers, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment within the Latino community. His catchphrase, ``You got it! Take it away!'' symbolized encouragement and empowerment. His show was more than entertainment; it celebrated Latino culture and identity. Beyond his contributions to music, Johnny served in the Army and was an avid supporter of civil rights and veterans' issues. During his three years of active-duty service, he formed the foundation of his advocacy for the troops and veterans, a dedication that made him a cherished community figure. Despite facing health challenges later in life, Johnny continued influencing and uplifting his community. Alongside his wife, Nora, he returned to television with ``El Show de Johnny y Nora Canales,'' ensuring that the voices of Latino artists remained heard and celebrated. Johnny is survived by his two daughters, Nora Seleste Canales and Miroslava Canales. Mr. Speaker, let us honor and celebrate the life of Johnny Canales, a man who truly embodied the spirit of the Latino community and a pioneer who paved the way for future generations of artists.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Dr. Paul Raymond Buitron, a pillar of our community, for his 49 years of dedicated service to patients in Laredo and South Texas. His contributions to our medical community saved his patients' lives and exemplified selfless care throughout South Texas. The highly personal nature of his care made Dr. Paul Raymond Buitron stand above the rest. Dr. Buitron compassionately tailored treatment plans for his patients, whom he knew well. His commitment to their well-being extended far beyond traditional medicine, he worked to foster open communication and build deep, trusting relationships with his patients. Buitron's treatment was the perfect example of what a doctor should provide theft community. Dr. Buitron was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University before moving south in 1975 to earn his medical degree at the Universidad Autonoma De San Luis Potosi Facultad De Mediona in Mexico. After his journey through medical school, Dr. Buitron found his passion in otolaryngology, also known as ear, nose, and throat, at St. Joseph Hospital. He then completed his residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine before returning to Laredo to secure his Texas State Medical license, where he served local patients ever since. Dr. Buitron may have passed away earlier this month, but his memory will continue to resonate in the hearts and minds of the South Texans who knew him. He leaves behind his son and two daughters, Paul Raymond Buitron, Ill, Delilah Buitron Arrebola, and Dubelza Buitron, as well as his grandchildren, Nara Buitron, Paul Raymond Buitron IV, Olivia Buitron, Lennon Wolfgang Gardener, and Ringo Sebastian Arrebola. Dr. Paul Raymond Buitron provided compassionate care and demonstrated unwavering dedication to his patients, leaving a lasting legacy in the Laredo community.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote today due to a recent death in the family. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 196 and YEA on Roll Call No. 197. personal explanation

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 177 and YEA on Roll Call No. 178.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, it adds money to Stonegarden so local law enforcement can do their work. I would say, Madam Speaker, this is the strongest border security bill that we have. It is fair. I ask folks to support this bill. Again, I live at the border. I don't go visit. This is a strong Homeland Security bill.

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, as the ranking member, I live at the border. I don't just go visit the border. I know the border. This is a strong border security bill that we passed in a bipartisan, commonsense way. This bill takes away all the poisonous riders and adds bipartisan riders. It adds the largest number of Border Patrol agents, 22,000 agents. It adds CBP officers at the bridges so they can stop fentanyl. It adds support staff so they can support the agents. It adds money to air marines so they can do their work and counter drones. It adds money for the TSA so they can have pay equity. It adds money to the food and shelter program, which is important for the border community. It adds beds that are being used right now, even up to 41,700 beds. It adds money for deportation when aliens don't have their rights after they get processed. It fully funds reunification efforts for families that were unjustly separated. It adds money for the Border Patrol.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) for yielding. In addition, I thank both Mr. Raskin and Mr. Donalds for speaking about these three heroes from Laredo. Madam Speaker, this bill honors the lives of Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez, and Sergeant Roberto Arizola, Jr., who gave their lives for our Nation. This bill will rename the Del Mar Post Office in Laredo, Texas, which will honor these heroes' sacrifices. Although words and actions cannot replace these brave individuals, dedicating this post office honors their legacies. Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza was born on July 10, 2001, in Laredo, Texas, but lived in nearby Rio Bravo, Texas, all his life. He graduated from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in 2019. Shortly after graduating, he joined the United States Marine Corps. On August 26, 2021, during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Espinoza was one of the 13 servicemembers killed in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was only 20 years old. Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez lived in El Cenizo, a town near Laredo, where he attended United South High School and was involved in Junior ROTC. He led his group to a Junior ROTC national championship in 1998. After graduating from high school in 2000, he joined the United States Marine Forces Reserve. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Division, Corpus Christi, Texas. On January 13, 2005, Lance Corporal Rodriguez died in action while conducting combat operations in the Anbar Province in Iraq. He was only 23 years of age. Sergeant Roberto Arizola was born December 11, 1973, in Laredo, Texas. He graduated from high school in 1992 and enlisted in the United States Army in 1996. He was assigned to the 297th Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Georgia. Sergeant Arizola had been a Border Patrol agent taking care of our borders in Laredo, Texas, before he was deployed to Iraq in May of 2004. On June 8, 2005, a day before he was scheduled to return from Iraq, Sergeant Arizola was killed in an explosion near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He was only 31 years of age. Through this dedication, we ensure that their heroic legacy remains engraved in the hearts of our community, a lasting tribute to their selfless service and courage. Madam Speaker, I thank not only these brave soldiers but all the veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. We would not be here without them.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the exemplary career of Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jose Angel Moreno, a distinguished 32-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. Immigrating to Laredo at the age of 7, AUSA Moreno's journey to legal prominence began with his education at local schools in the area. Following his graduation from Martin High School, he served two years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Returning to Laredo, he continued his education by graduating from Laredo Junior College (now Laredo College) and Laredo State University (now TAMIU). AUSA Moreno went on to obtain his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. AUSA Moreno has been an integral part of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas since he joined in 1991, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to justice. Over the course of his tenure, he has prosecuted multi-defendant cases spanning every division in the district. His expertise extends across a broad spectrum of federal crimes, including immigration, narcotics, firearms, violent crime, fraud, and public corruption. Notably, AUSA Moreno achieved a significant milestone in 1993 when he secured the first drug kingpin prosecution in the district. His extensive experience showcases not only his legal acumen but also his dedication to public service. AUSA Jose Angel Moreno stands as a testament to the pursuit of justice and the embodiment of the highest ideals of the legal profession. I commend him for his remarkable career and service to the Southern District of Texas, and I wish him the best in his well-earned retirement.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Representative Norton, for her leadership on getting this bill to the floor, and I thank her for yielding to me. I also thank my good friends, Mr. Pfluger and Mr. Arrington, for carrying this legislation along with Senator Cruz, Senator Lujan, and Senator Cornyn on the Senate side for their work on this important legislation. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to designate a portion of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as Interstate 27. I-27 starts in my hometown of Laredo, Texas, which ranks number one in trade of all the Nation's 450-plus airports, seaports, and border crossings. It starts off in Laredo, then goes up into west Texas and off to New Mexico. In the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill, I was able to secure language designating this as a future interstate making it eligible for Federal funding. This bill today formally names it the I-27 in Texas and in New Mexico. Upgrading this route to an interstate will result in a $17.2 billion increase in the Texas GDP and 178,000 of new jobs. I certainly urge my colleagues in the House to pass this bipartisan bill to support trade and growth in Texas and New Mexico. I see my good friend Mr. Arrington, and I thank him for his leadership in west Texas. I am glad that we are able to connect Laredo with west Texas and onto New Mexico.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, haven't we done this amendment two or three times already? I mean, we know that the majority doesn't want to pay the salary. We already passed--

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I rise respectfully in opposition to this amendment. The U.S. Constitution grants the Federal Government the sole authority to control immigration and secure the national borders. I would say that if we would do this in partnership, working with the State and local government, like we do with the program that we started called Stonegarden where we provide funding, that would be the way to do it. Unfortunately, there are some States that want to go solo on doing certain things. Let me give you an explanation. When the Governor from the State of Texas put out the buoys, those buoys were less than a quarter of a mile for a river that is 1,200 miles. Less than a quarter of a mile for a river that is 1,200 miles long is like putting a postage stamp in the middle of a football field to stop a running back from crossing the 1-yard line. The second thing is, when the Governor has talked about stopping every truck like he is doing, what he is doing is--he said he is inspecting every truck. I used to do the budget for the DPS. The only thing they can do is check license plates, driver's licenses, or the brakes and windshield wipers. They can't even open the trucks. What they are doing is, in Eagle Pass, in El Paso, and other places, they are stopping millions and hundreds of millions of dollars of trade itself. Again, we want to work with the States, but you just can't go solo on this. Again, when you say lawlessness at the border, I would say in the State of Texas, if you look at the most dangerous cities that we have, none of them are on the border. I am not going to name any of my Texas cities, but they are the big urban areas, per 100,000, where murder, rape, and assault are a lot higher than at the border. Again, the border is safe when we talk about crime. On the issue of migration, I am with you. We need to have repercussions, but we need to put money outside the 1-yard line and put it on the 20-yard line and work with other countries. In fact, when you look at 2015, when President Obama had the numbers go down, it was because Mexico was stopping people. In 2019, when President Trump was taking credit for stopping the numbers and having the lowest crossings, do you know why? Because we got Mexico to do its job on the southern border. Again, we can either play defense on the 1-yard line or we can play defense on the 20-yard line, and we have to look at this and how we address it. If you want to talk about crime, look at the big urban cities. Do we want to make sure we secure the border? I am with you. We have to have repercussions. We have to make sure that we play defense outside the 1- yard line, but we can't have a State go solo. They want to work with us? My brother was a DPS officer for 27 years. I want to make sure that they work with us hand in hand, and Stonegarden does that where we provide money to the cities, counties, and States. We are on the same page. We are just looking at this in a very different way. My good friend from my State of Texas, I am with him. I just oppose this particular amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I thank Chairwoman Kay Granger and Ranking Member DeLauro for working together as much as possible. I certainly would thank our chairman, David Joyce. I know we have some disagreements, but at the end of this process, we are going to be working together making sure that the Homeland Security bill passes in a bipartisan way. Democrats and Republicans had a deal when we passed the debt bill some months ago. Now our colleagues, the House Republicans, are backing away from this deal and yielding to some extreme demands that will not help border security. Now the House remains in chaos as the Republicans have been infighting and that will all but guarantee a government shutdown at the hands of the far right in just a few days. Instead of working on a bipartisan continuing resolution that will keep the government open, one that will pass both Chambers and be signed into law, we are here talking about bills that are not going to go very far in the Senate. Again, I want to make sure that people understand that we want to work together. We want to make this a bipartisan bill to get it done. As the ranking member of Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee and as a Member that actually lives on the border, I am very concerned about ensuring that the border is secure and that the Department has the resources it needs to do that successfully. Instead of that, what are we doing? If we have a shutdown, we are going to have over 226 folks, employees from the Department of Homeland Security, that are going to continue to work for a period of time and not get paid, and, again, that is not the way to create morale for our Border Patrol and other agents that we have down there at the border. I strongly support the hiring of additional agents, but, if there is a shutdown, what is going to happen is that this will prevent us from onboarding the anticipated 150 additional agents in October. It would also stop the recruitment and vetting efforts that impact CBP ability to onboard additional agents later on. We cannot have a shutdown, and we have got to make sure that we work together to prevent the shutdown itself. Now, if you look at the bill itself, the proposed bill, let's look at a couple of things. Yes, we did have some bipartisan investments and oversight requirements that we worked together on, but there are certain funding decisions and policy riders that I cannot support at this moment. We have to understand the border. Some of my colleagues don't understand the border, and they call it a war zone. If my colleagues look at the criminal records or the criminal figures that we have, whether it is murder, rape, assault, the border is actually safer than so many other parts of the country. In fact, Washington, D.C., is about two or three times more dangerous, if you want to look at those figures, than the border community. Now, when it comes to migration issues, yes, we do have a problem, and we do need to address it, but I think we need to stop playing defense on the 1-yard line, which is the U.S.-Mexico border. What we need to do is extend the perimeter where we can work with partners like Mexico, Central America, South America to make sure that we provide that perimeter and stop folks before they come over to our border itself. This bill has some very outdated strategies, and one of them I know doesn't work, and I will call that the 14th century solution to a 21st century problem, which is the border wall. We are spending $2.1 billion, or we intend to spend $2.1 billion on a wall that really doesn't stop. If I can show you some of the figures, I will explain why. If you look at the border wall, you will see that the fence is in many parts of the border itself, but if you see the heat maps where people are coming into the border, it is usually where the border fence is at. If I can show south Texas as an example, you will see that, in south Texas, you have a fence, and if you see the heat map, we have a fence here, we have a fence here, we have a fence here, we have a fence there, we have a fence there, and so on, but the activity is where the fence is at. Let me explain why. If you look at the fence, we have a river. The middle of the river is actually the U.S. boundary with Mexico. We don't have a fence there. If you look at the riverbanks, we don't have a fence there also because it is going to get washed away. What we do is we actually put a fence about a quarter of a mile or sometimes even a half a mile away, and what happens, you see the fence here, the one in the red itself, and then you see the river over here. Instead of having a fence over here, it is actually put a quarter mile or a mile away. Therefore, what happens when you have this situation? Well, first of all, if you are asking for asylum, like most people are asking, you are going to see people that will touch the riverbank. They walked half a mile or a quarter of a mile to the fence over here and asked for asylum, so does the fence stop them? No, it doesn't. If you asked all those landowners, they will say, you are ceding away thousands and thousands of acres of good farming land, good ranching land, because you put the fence here and the river is over here. Again, if you want to stop drugs, I know we added some money for technology, but we have got to have the money at the ports of entry where 90 to 94 percent of the meth, the fentanyl, the cocaine are coming in, instead of through this particular area Again, this bill also has no funding for USCIS that would help reduce the backlog of the migration, so the people that have been waiting for a while, we are not putting any resources in for the USCIS. We have got to make sure that we help the folks who are trying to come in the legal way. We do lose a lot of opportunities. We can do a lot more to add money to counter the fentanyl, the opioids. Again, most drugs will come in through the ports of entry, and that is where we need to put the focus. Finally, also, we should have an updated border security improvement plan. Again, I certainly want to work with my good friend, Mr. Joyce. We are going to be together later on in the process. I know we have got some disagreements, but we will get there. With that, I hope that we have a good bipartisan bill at the end of the process. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.