Tony Gonzales

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the humanitarian and national security crisis happening as we speak in my district. The flood of migrants at the International Bridge in Del Rio has highlighted the vulnerabilities we have in both our immigration system and as a Nation. That is why I rise today to speak in opposition to the previous question. We need much-needed commonsense reforms to provide the Border Patrol with more advanced technology, supplemental boots on the ground, and additional support to secure our southern border through infrastructure. In order to prevent an event like this from happening again, there needs to be substantial policy changes. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include the text of my amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, as you know, our ally Israel was forced to defend itself in May from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic jihad, who over the course of 11 days indiscriminately fired over 4,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel. My motion to recommit would provide $1 billion to Israel to replenish and maintain its Iron Dome defense system. We must continue to stand with our ally Israel. We must continue to show that the United States believes in the right to existence and defend themselves. We must do everything within our power to ensure they are equipped to defend against these heinous attacks and defeat these terrorists.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Del Rio Border Patrol Sector Chief Austin Skero, who is retiring from Border Patrol at the end of July after a more than 30-year career in law enforcement. Chief Skero has honorably served 26 years with Customs and Border Protection, beginning his career in 1995 in the Rio Grande Valley sector. Throughout his time with CBP, he has served Border Patrol in various roles across the Nation, from Washington, D.C., to Grand Forks, North Dakota. Chief Skero has led the Del Rio sector as chief since July 2020. He oversees 250 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, supervising 2,000 Border Patrol employees, 9 CBP stations, and 5 traffic checkpoints, and supporting 47 counties in Texas. Chief Skero's mission as sector chief has been especially challenging this year. Del Rio currently is the eye of the storm as we tackle this southern border crisis. Over the last year, Chief Skero has led Del Rio Border Patrol agents through one of the largest spikes in migrant traffic in United States history. This has been no easy task. Del Rio is the second most trafficked sector on the U.S.-Mexico border. Agents are apprehending an average of a thousand migrants per day, some who surrender willingly and others who try their hardest to avoid being caught. Last month alone, Chief Skero's sector saw over 30,000 migrant apprehensions, a 700 percent increase from the previous year. In Del Rio, over 700 human smuggling cases have been prosecuted, and sex offender apprehensions are up 1,400 percent. Apprehensions on trains in Uvalde are up 900 percent, and it is estimated that cartels make $25 million a week in the Del Rio sector alone simply by trafficking people. When agents are not in the field securing our borders, their dedicated work to ensure our migrants are protected has not gone unnoticed. Using the sector's limited resources to deal with many dimensions of the crisis has shown exemplary leadership from Chief Skero. Chief Skero has met and surpassed those expectations. He has had the responsibility of briefing political figures from every corner of the Nation and every party on what is happening at our southern border. I am incredibly grateful for Chief Skero's leadership, especially during this historic and difficult time for our border communities and our Border Patrol agents. His hard work and commitment have not gone unnoticed. Chief Skero has received several awards and commendations throughout his career, including Border Patrol's highest award for heroism and valor, the Newton-Azrak Award. While we will miss his direction and guidance, I know his retirement is more than well-earned. Chief Skero has lived a life driven by service to our community. The Del Rio border sector, our border communities, Texas, and our country are safer because of his leadership and work at the southern border. Angel and I wish him and his wife, Chandra, all the best as they enter this next phase of their life. I thank Chief Skero personally for all the direction and guidance he has given in this very difficult time. He has been at the forefront of this effort, at the forefront of this storm, and I am so grateful for the Border Patrol leading this effort. Mr. Speaker, I wish Chief Skero a wonderful retirement. It is well- deserved.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, as I have listened to the debate on this legislation to provide emergency funding, I realize it is tone-deaf. The true emergencies we should be funding are not part of this bill. We have a southern border crisis. If that is not enough, we have a crisis in the Middle East. We have an emergency situation at our southern border. And even as we debate, the United States' closest ally, Israel, is under attack by constant terrorist threat. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic jihad, proxies of Iran, have been attacking Israel for 2 weeks and have fired over 4,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel. Now is the time to stand with our ally, Israel. We need to show them that we believe in their right to defend themselves, and the United States will do everything within our power to ensure they defeat these terrorists and any attacks by Iran. Will my Democrat colleagues choose to stand with Israel? Or will they cower to the Iranian proxies? U.S. security assistance to Israel has been crucial to countering the many threats Israel faces on a daily basis. Our security partnerships serve as an active participant. The investment in the Iron Dome defense system that counters short-range rockets is one of the most important investments we have made toward the peace in the Middle East. Not only does it save Israeli lives, it saves thousands of Palestinian lives. If the 4,000 rockets fired by terrorists had hit their targets, Israel would have had no choice but to escalate the conflict. Madam Speaker, if we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Appropriations to consider my amendment to H.R. 3237. It would provide emergency funding for the Iron Dome defense system to ensure that Israel has the system it needs to continue defending against these attacks and enable the Israelis to replenish the thousands of interceptors they have used. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the crisis that is happening on our southern border. My district, Texas 23, represents 820 miles of the Texas and Mexico border. That is 40 percent of our southern border. Madam Speaker, the Biden border crisis is as bad as it has ever been, and it is only getting worse. Over 20,000 unaccompanied children have entered into our country, and that number is only rising. These children don't have a voice. These children aren't represented. These children are nothing more than a stat on a paper, and that is wrong. On Mother's Day weekend, of all days, these five young girls, babies, essentially, were found abandoned on a ranch in Texas. Well, today, I am here to talk about their story and give them a voice. Two of these girls, Ashley, who is 5 years old, and her sister, Valeria, who is 11 months old, are from Guatemala. Two of the other girls, Nasley, who is 7, and Cristal, who is 4, are from Honduras. They happen to be related. They are cousins. As they have made this trek to America, they were dumped on a farm in Texas with no water and no food. The oldest of them is 7 years old. Imagine that you are 7 years old, and your responsibility is to take care of your younger sister that is 4 and take care and ensure that your cousins, who are 5 and 11 months, not only are okay, but survive the night. That is wrong on all accounts. I want to tell a little bit more about this story. Sandra is the mother of Nasley and Cristal. Sandra has attempted to make this trek many times, and, unfortunately, she was turned around at the border several times. So she goes off and she gives her children to smugglers. Why? Because she is desperate. The situation at our southern border is desperate, and we need to act now. We need to reform immigration, and we need to secure our southern border; not only for these young ladies here, but for all children who are making that dangerous trek, and for all people who live along the border and see this every single day. What is happening with these girls? They get put in HHS and then get released. Guess where they are going. They are going to Houston, Texas, to try to be reunited with a family member. All cities of the United States are border cities. All States of the United States are border States. This crisis has continued to spiral out of control, and we, here in Congress, as well as the administration, must come together and reform immigration and secure our southern border.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable life of the late Jay Scott Myers. A World War II veteran and longtime resident of Carrizo Springs, Texas, Jay passed away on Sunday, January 3, at the age of 99. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his achievements and extending my condolences to his loved ones. Born to Cullie Scott and William S. Myers in Houston on March 22, 1921, Jay graduated from San Jacinto High School and enrolled in the prestigious Harvard College in 1938. As an undergraduate, he majored in economics and participated in Naval ROTC until his graduation in 1942. That same year, he was commissioned to the USS Mississippi in San Francisco and deployed as a gunnery officer to the Pacific Ocean. In 1944, Jay served valiantly in the Battle of the Philippines, a major victory against Japanese Imperial Forces. He was also scheduled to take part in the invasion of Japan in the fall of 1945, but the war came to a close with the dropping of the atomic bomb. Back home, Jay accomplished the goal of a lifetime, and married the late Lucille White of Carrizo Springs, a childhood neighbor to his parent's adjoining ranch. When Jay first met Lucille at the age of eleven, he said to himself, ``That's the girl I'm going to marry'', and more than a decade later, he fulfilled that promise. Joined in matrimony, the couple made a life for themselves in Houston, where Jay worked for his father's company, Myers-Spalti. While living in Houston, the couple had three of their four children: Barbara, Scott and Marilyn. In 1953, Jay thought that ranch life in a small town sounded exciting, so the family moved to Carrizo Springs in 1953 where they had their fourth child, Beverly. Over the rest of Jay's life in Carrizo Springs, he actively participated in his community's civic life. In 1953, he helped found the area's Lion's Club, where he engaged in the scholarship committee and helped youth develop leadership skills. He also served as County Judge from 1954 through 1958, served on the Chamber of Commerce, and played an active role in the American Legion, where he oversaw the Homecoming Parade for 25 years. Jay was also a member of numerous commissions, including the Hospital Board and Library Board. He was also appointed to the Underground Water Conservation Board by Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe. In 1976, Jay was named Citizen of the Year, and he served steadfastly as Republican County Chairman for thirty years. Madam Speaker, Jay's accomplishments are truly extraordinary, and his legacy will be remembered for many years to come. I extend my thoughts and prayers to his family and ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Mr. Jay Scott Myers.

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Chamber for the first time in my service to the 23rd District of Texas. My path to Congress has been marked by many obstacles. At age 18, I left high school to join the Navy and provide a path to success for my family. As I embarked on a 20-year career as a cryptologist, I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and gained a deep understanding of the security issues that currently affect our Nation. Today, many of those issues are visible along our Southern border, especially within my district, which spans over 800 miles between the U.S. and Mexico border. The challenges facing our district are compounded by the minute, and it is imperative that Congress take action. Mr. Speaker, as I have made my way around the district, I have seen firsthand the men and women who are doing the work. People like Sheriff Martinez in Val Verde County, like Sheriff Coe in Kinney County. We have other sheriffs throughout. We have Chief Guajardo in Eagle Pass and Chief Rodriguez in Uvalde. We have Sheriff Dodson. These are the men and women on the ground every day doing the work. That is why I am proud to introduce the Security First Act, to ensure our borders are safe, resilient, and adaptive to 21st century challenges. One of the primary objectives to my bill is to authorize an increase in grant funding for Operation Stonegarden. As a key pillar of our border security framework, Operation Stonegarden provides resources to local law enforcement agencies involved in Customs and Border Protection operations. By enabling our sheriffs and police departments to collaborate with CBP and United States Border Patrol, Operation Stonegarden helps create a layered approach to border security and encourages a joint collaboration across all levels of Government. Operation Stonegarden funds can be used to purchase field equipment to enhance operational efficiencies. The United States has long been a leader in technology. So equipping our boots on the ground with sophisticated tools to do their job is exactly what is needed. After speaking to countless law enforcement agents in my district, it is clear that more funding for this program is needed. A surge at our Southern border is occurring. The Security First Act proposes a 4-year increase to current Stonegarden funding levels and requires that all moneys seized from drug trafficking activities at the Southern border be funneled to the Stonegarden account. By strengthening our ability to cope with evolving security challenges, the Security First Act helps protect the integrity of our Southern border.