Jim Jordan

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from California an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Buck).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining on both sides?

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record this cost estimate on H.R. 1573 from the Congressional Budget Office. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate, April 15, 2021 H.R. 1573 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allow individuals subject to secondary immigration inspection at U.S. ports of entry to consult with an attorney, accredited immigration official, family member, or immigration sponsor during the inspection. The bill also would require DHS to allow the counsel or interested party to appear in person at the inspection site to the greatest extent practicable. (A secondary immigration inspection is conducted by customs officers if individuals entering the United States do not have the required documents for entry or if their information cannot be initially verified.) Approximately 10.2 million individuals were referred to secondary inspection at the United States' 328 ports of entry in 2019. Using information provided by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBO expects that roughly 8 percent of referrals would request access to counsel each year. Immigration at ports of entry has declined significantly in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic; CBO assumes referrals would return to pre-pandemic levels beginning in mid-2022. CBO estimates that CBP would need two new full-time officers on average at each port of entry to provide security and transportation services for individuals requesting access to counsel. (The number of CBP officers stationed at each port of entry ranges from several individuals to up to several thousands, and the number of additional officers needed at each port under the bill would vary by the size of the port.) CBO estimates that salaries, benefits, and overtime for the additional staff would cost about $700 million over the 2021-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Additionally, using information provided by the agency, CBO expects that 222 ports of entry (nearly two-thirds of all ports) would need additional space or other upgrades to accommodate the bill's requirement to allow counsel to appear in person at inspection sites. Using that same information and historical patterns of construction costs, CBO estimates the total cost for construction and operation of the additional space would total $123 million over the 2021-2026 period. Specifically, CBO estimates that construction costs at 113 land facilities would total $62 million over the 2021-2026 period, with $10 million spent in subsequent years. CBO estimates the cost of renting additional space at 109 airport facilities would total $44 million over the 2021-2026 period. In addition, CBO estimates the cost of initial setup, recurring maintenance, and other operational expenses associated with the additional space would total $17 million over the 2021-2026 period. All construction and operational costs would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 750 (administration of justice).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from California an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne).

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation requires individuals entering our country at ports of entry, tens of millions of them, who are referred for secondary inspection to get a lawyer. Yet, Democrats tell us this is not going to cost the taxpayers anything. I mean, this is some kind of miracle. You have a mandate for tens of millions of people coming into our country, and it is not going to cost Americans any money? I have never seen a government mandate that didn't cost something. This is amazing. I remember my days in the State legislature. Local governments were concerned about unfunded mandates from the State. This may be the biggest mandate we have ever seen. But somehow, our agents, who are busting their tails working night and day right now with this crisis on the border, it is not going to cost them anything in time and effort. I think the American taxpayers are smarter than that. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), the ranking member on the Immigration Subcommittee.

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, for all the reasons that we have stated here in the last half hour, we urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, there is a crisis at the border, I mean, the President even said so. There is chaos at the border. The crisis and the chaos have been created by policies of this administration. We were down at the border 2 weeks ago. Every single Border Patrol agent we talked to said the crisis has been created by policy changes made by the Biden administration; specifically, three changes. They announced to the world that they weren't going to deport anyone. Moratorium on deportation. They announced to the world they weren't going to finish the wall. And, most importantly, they got rid of the remain in Mexico policy. And what do we have? In March, we had the highest number of illegal immigrants coming into our Nation since they have been keeping records. So it is definitely a crisis, definitely chaos. And what do the Democrats do? What do the Democrats do? Last month, they passed two bills that give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. You can't make this stuff up. And then, today, they are going to pass a piece of legislation that takes power away from the Commander in Chief, takes power away from the individual who was on the ballot and elected, and gives it to the unelected secretary of state and Secretary of Homeland Security. I mean, you would think, if they were going to take power away from the President, they would at least give it to the Vice President. After all, she is the one who has been put in charge of this thing. They don't even do that. They don't even do that. The answer is real simple. What we should be focused on is reinstating the policies that worked. In fact, again, when we were down there 2 weeks ago--by the way, we invited the Democrats to go with us, and they said no. When we were down there 2 weeks ago, every Border Patrol agent said: Reinstate the policies that were working and we don't have the problem, we don't have the crisis. But, no, we couldn't do something that common sense. We couldn't do something that simple, that basic. They, instead, come with this legislation. Reinstate the policies that work. Don't take power away from the individual who was elected by the American people, the Commander in Chief. Don't implement crazy policies. Do the things that work. But, no, that is not what we are going to do. And then after this bill is done, they are going to say, oh, by the way, bring in the lawyers. Give access to counsel to people coming into our country. It makes absolutely no sense. One of the speakers earlier said: Out of many, one. That is so true about this country. But is it too much to ask to have the many who come into this country do it legally? And have policies in place that make sense. Is that too much to ask? I think most taxpayers, most Americans, think that makes good, common sense. This bill does not. I hope we vote it down. I hope we go back to the policies that work. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the distinguished Republican leader.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.