Scott Perry

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I can't speak to what happened in the past, and I don't know where the money went either, but I know where we are today. I know that our communities are in peril for these issues that we have discussed already. I am sure, coming from Texas, you can name people's names. I can name people who have been murdered, who have died of overdoses. Even if you are just an average taxpaying citizen in Pennsylvania--I don't know about other States--but in Pennsylvania, we pay at least $1.3 billion annually just for illegal immigration in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and that doesn't include healthcare and social services. That is education and incarceration. And we are 2,000 miles from the border. If you are a senior citizen in Pennsylvania, where our property taxes are high, you have paid your mortgage, you are no longer working, you are on a fixed income, you are counting on your retirement and maybe your Social Security and your savings, and the price tag keeps going up because people keep coming into your community illegally. You are in peril of losing your home, you are looking to your representatives and saying: Sir, ma'am, what are you doing about this problem? We cannot accept this. We don't want to lose our home to pay for this problem that shouldn't be happening. Regardless of what happened in the past, I can't fix that. But what we are saying in this House, as Republicans, is the status quo of 51,000 people in 1 month getting caught between the entry points cannot continue. It is too much. It must be stopped. We must do something. If the other side has a better plan, God bless them. I am ready to sit down and look at it, but we have been waiting for it since December 20-something. It is now the end of January. We are prepared. The gentleman from Texas, the Representative from Texas, and I are willing to consider whatever they have, but we don't have anything so far. This President has offered, I think, four or five times things that they have wanted and said: Let's come to the table. We can't fix it on our own. We need their involvement. We need their input. We just beseech them: Let's get past all this theater. Let's get down to brass tacks here and start saving our community.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, people at home think they are watching C- SPAN, but this is more like ``Masterpiece Theatre.'' I mean, this is actually like a documentary where we record what happened in history, but here we see that we are going to change and revise history. We are going to remind everybody who is watching and everybody in this House that, under this minority leader, who was the majority leader at the time, we passed a bill in this House to keep the government open. We didn't want to shut down the government. We wanted to keep the government open and fund border security. We passed it in this House. Mr. Speaker, I know everybody is smiling over there because you voted against it, but we passed it in this House, and we sent it to the Senate. It was the Senate Democrats who said, ``Oh, no. Oh, no, we are not going to do any of that border security stuff. We want you to go ahead and have the shutdown, and then we will blame it all on you.'' Mr. Speaker, we are not here to revise history. We would like to get to the task at hand, which is solving this issue of border security. We ask the other side, instead of engaging in this blame game, of which they are wholly part of, obviously--they didn't want to keep the government open. The Senate Democrats didn't want to do anything to keep the government open. Forget this charade, this theater, and let's get to negotiating on border security and making sure that the American people are safe.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, today I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Master Sergeant Edward K. Slavin, a resident of York, Pennsylvania, on his retirement following 22 years of dedicated service to our Country in the United States Air Force. MSgt Slavin currently serves as the Aircraft Mechanic Supervisor at the 193rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron in Middletown, Pennsylvania. He entered the USAF in 1997, and served in numerous assignments and deployments throughout his distinguished career. MSgt Slavin has shown not only outstanding leadership, but uncommon technical skill. His nine deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom demonstrate tireless devotion and self- sacrifice on behalf of the American people. He was a vital part of joint exercises with allies around the world, and volunteered to train members of the Canadian Air Force and Indian Air Force in the operation and maintenance of their newly assigned C-130J aircraft. MSgt Slavin also quickly volunteered to support disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina and the 2007 Peru Earthquake. His numerous commendations and awards, include the Air Force Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters), among several others, and are a testament to his steadfast courage, personal integrity, unwavering work ethic, and impeccable character. His enduring legacy of service to our Nation is exceptional and sets the standard for all to follow. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Tenth Congressional District, I commend and congratulate my fellow brother-in-arms, Master Sergeant Edward K. Slavin, upon his retirement and for his devoted service to the United States of America.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and not able to be present on the floor at the time of the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 46 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 47.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. ``But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President. ``The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. ``No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. ``In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.''

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate the outstanding men and women of the Harrisburg Police Department on earning the National Association of Town Watch ``Rookie of the Year'' Award. On August 7, 2018, 16,780 law enforcement agencies across the Country held local National Night Out events, aimed at promoting police- community partnerships through neighborhood block parties and cookouts with officers. Out of nearly 800 nationwide law enforcement groups who held a National Night Out for the first time, the Harrisburg Police Department was one of only three agencies in Pennsylvania selected for recognition. Law enforcement officers are heroes, and we must not take their service for granted. They put their lives on the line to keep our neighborhoods, homes, businesses and schools safe and secure. The National Night Out in August was just one more example of the Harrisburg Police Department's cherished charge to protect and defend the people they serve. I've long appreciated the commitment and self-sacrifice of our law enforcement professionals. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Tenth Congressional District, I commend, congratulate and extend my heartfelt thanks to the Harrisburg Police Department on this great accomplishment, and wish them Godspeed as they continue serving and safeguarding our communities.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, folks in the audience, and folks that are watching this on TV, this is all theater. This is all just political theater. Everybody knows. I know. My good friends on the other side of the aisle know that this isn't going to solve anything. This is not a solution. If we were serious about solving this, we wouldn't be voting on another bill here that doesn't fix anything, that is never going to be moved through the Senate, that is never going to be signed by the President. If we were interested in opening the Federal Government, we would be negotiating. We would be talking about what our differences are about border security. Remember, this is a bill that includes the funding for border security. That is why we have this partial shutdown, because we have a disagreement about border security. And we are trying to work it out, but we can't work it out just by running the same bills that don't do anything and that are never going to move through the Senate and aren't going to be signed by the President. It is time to get serious. Last year, this government was shut down for a few days over amnesty. Now it is shut down because the other side doesn't want to talk about border security. You put amnesty and the lack of border security together, and that is open borders. That is completely open borders. Just on the news, if you were watching the last couple days, more caravans heading north out of Central America through Mexico to the United States border. That is what is happening right now while our Border Patrol agents are out there working but not being paid. Here come these folks. We don't know what their circumstances are. I am sure there are a lot of fine people in there. I am sure there are children in there, and the horrors that they are going to suffer on this trek north up through the desert in these points between the points of entry. Madam Speaker, the most recent numbers out of Homeland Security in November, 51,000 people--that is the ones we caught--51,000 people came across the border between the ports of entry. If they were coming to the ports of entry, this wouldn't be half of a problem, but the problem is they are coming between the ports of entry. That is one month, 51,000. And those are the ones we caught. We don't have any idea how many other ones made it through. And yet some folks are saying: Well, we are going to give you an extra billion dollars to fix this problem. It is not an extra billion. It is the same billion, and it is to fix problems at the ports of entry. Madam Speaker, the problem is between the ports of entry and the ports of entry. But we are not going to do anything about the ports of entry. The billion dollars we are talking about is to muddle around and maintain things at the ports of entry but do nothing between the ports of entry, nothing at all. That is the status quo. That is why we are in this argument, because we are saying we cannot withstand, we cannot maintain the status quo of 51,000 people a month coming illegally across our border and do nothing. We are pleading with the other side: Please, let's do something. Let's do something different than the status quo, because the status quo gives us 51,000 people coming illegally across the border. And they are saying: Well, we are just going to run the same bill to open the government and do nothing. We cannot abide that. The American people cannot abide that. People are working, Madam Speaker, without being paid while people pour across our border, and we are expecting them to stop them. They don't have the resources because we are not providing them. It is time to end this needless show of work. We are here working, right? We are all here working. We are not doing anything to solve the problem. What it is going to take is somebody to sit down at the table and say, ``Look. See here. This is what I think the issue is,'' and find some solution somewhere in the middle. But you can't do that if you are not willing to have a discussion. We are asking to have a discussion so we can get past this, so people can get paid and the American people can be assured that their government is securing their border, their property, their country, and stopping all these illegal immigrants from coming in; and making sure that, if they are going to come in--and we are a country of immigrants. My grandmother, my great-grandmother came here from Colombia, South America, with the shirts on their backs. They came through Ellis Island because we had a process. We are all immigrants, and we welcome immigrants more than any other country on the planet, but we want you to come legally. We have a process. We don't want you to just pour across the border into our country with gang-related violence, with fentanyl, with opioids that are killing people in our own communities, all these drugs and crimes and violence. We are asking you to come to the ports of entry and quit pouring in between the ports of entry. But our laws now invite them to do that, which is why they are coming. So I just beseech you, Madam Speaker--and I thank you for your indulgence and for your time--let's quit this show. Let's quit this charade. Let's quit this theater. Let's get serious for the people who are working, for the American people who expect more, and get down to negotiation, come to a solution, and move on with things, the important things that plague our Nation.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of the tens of thousands who will march in support of life tomorrow in Washington, D.C. On the 22nd of this month, we will mark the infamous anniversary of the misguided Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, without restriction, nationwide. Since the 1973 decision, more than 54 million children have been murdered in the United States alone. This is the epic tragedy of our time, and we must stand up for the unborn. We stand in solidarity with those marching and are determined to defend the sanctity of human life. We thank them for sharing their convictions with dauntless courage.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama and yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak about the crisis at the border, what is happening now, and what we can expect if we don't resolve this issue. I can't help but comment on a few things that my good friend, the gentleman from California, said. And just in case he wasn't paying attention, we are talking about 234 miles of border security fencing or wall or barrier of some sort as enumerated by the Secretary of Homeland Security--not the President; the Secretary of Homeland Security. So when he says it is unspecified where it will be and what it will be, it is very closely and very particularly specified by the Secretary, not by the President, and it is the 10 worst sites along the border where there is no barrier now. Let's get on with the other business of the afternoon. Madam Speaker, I am here this afternoon with nearly a dozen of my colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus who will lay out the case, with specifics, for the President's policies on border security, which are aimed at keeping America safe and enforcing our laws. These are for America's policies. The government has been shut down for the longest period in modern history. It is shut down over the topic of border security and whether to fund the construction of a border wall on points along our southern border. Right now, our immigration is our single greatest policy failure, a failure that is a manufactured one. It was created from political cowardice, short-termism, and self-interest, but it is a moral, legal, and human catastrophe of epic proportions. The President is fighting to fix it, and the Freedom Caucus is fighting to fix it right alongside him. Squarely in our way is a party gripped by denial, their political equivalent of hear no evil and see no evil. We learned as children that putting your head in the sand doesn't change the reality of the situation, the facts are facts. They don't have a political position. It is not about how we feel or what we wish the facts are. They are what they are. Let me quote a recent Vox article, a publication, mind you, that is no friend to conservatives or the Trump Administration: Hundreds, or even thousands, of migrant families are set to be released from government detention along the U.S.-Mexico border over the next several days. But while the mass release of families may cheer critics of the Trump administration's treatment of immigrant families, the government's new plan will probably lead to hundreds of families getting dropped off en masse at bus stations--literally out in the cold. Now the U.S. Border Patrol is so jammed that it had to release these illegal aliens at a Greyhound station on Christmas Eve. And that is not the Border Patrol's fault; it is an activist judge in California who said that Customs and Border Protection must release these individuals. But there is nowhere for these families to go. Charities at the border are full. Detention facilities at the border are full. Some more quotes from the same article: But over the summer and fall of 2018, it has become clear that there really is a crisis at the border--because more families are coming to more places than U.S. officials have ever been capable of dealing with. During the peak of unauthorized migration into the U.S. circa 2000, the overwhelming majority of migrants were single men; only 10 percent of Border Patrol apprehensions were families or unaccompanied children. In November 2018, 57 percent were families or children. More families crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without documentation in November of 2018 than in many months since Department of Homeland Security started tracking family apprehension separately. More children and families crossed in November 2018 than crossed during the peak of the ``border crisis'' in June of 2014. This is Vox, mind you. This is analysis from a liberal publication. Let me repeat the line. But over the summer and fall of 2018, it has become clear that there really is a crisis at the border. Again, this is from Vox. Now, let me quote the Washington Post, as you know, another great fan of our President. This is an article from January 5: In recent weeks, so many parents with children have been among the 2,000 unauthorized migrants who are being taken into Federal custody each day that authorities have resorted to mass releases of families onto the streets of El Paso and other border cities. U.S. agents are bringing dozens of migrants, coughing and feverish, each day to clinics and hospitals after stays in jam-packed holding cells where children sleep on concrete floors and huddle in plastic sheets for warmth. If this isn't a crisis, can someone tell me what is? To all reporters hyperventilating in TV studios who fact-check the Freedom Caucus and the President, I am sure it is not a crisis; but to these print reporters at Vox and The Washington Post who did their jobs and reported the news, this is a crisis. The agency tasked with basic Federal responsibility in this situation, Customs and Border Protection, lacks the resources to do its job humanely and effectively. They lack the legal resources. They lack the financial resources. This is the current status quo. This is why we are here. This is why nothing is happening in Washington, D.C., about ending this shutdown, because some folks on the other side of the aisle, in both this body and the one across the Capitol, refuse to deal with the lack of resources. I ask my Democratic colleagues: Is this what you support, this status quo? Do you support leaving illegal foreign nationals, human beings, on the streets of the United States at bus stations and by the side of the road? Do you support incentivizing them to journey through one of the highest intensity drug trafficking zones in the world, where all manner of horrific things occur? Do you believe this is moral? I don't. Neither does the President, who requested another $5 billion for detention beds so we can protect our borders and the illegal aliens who violate them. It is in writing in this letter from Director Vought at OMB, which I will include in the Record. Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC, January 6, 2019. Hon. Richard Shelby, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The President continues to stress the need to pass legislation that will both reopen the Federal Government and address the security and humanitarian crisis at our Nation's Southwest border. The Administration has previously transmitted budget proposals that would support his ongoing commitment to dramatically reduce the entry of illegal immigrants, criminals, and drugs; keep out terrorists, public safety threats, and those otherwise inadmissible under U.S. law; and ensure that those who do enter without legal permission can be promptly and safely returned home. Appropriations bills for fiscal year (FY) 2019 that have already been considered by the current and previous Congresses are inadequate to fully address these critical issues. Any agreement for the current year should satisfy the following priorities: Border Wall, Customs and Border Protection (CBP): The President requests $5.7 billion for construction of a steel barrier for the Southwest border. Central to any strategy to achieve operational control along the southern border is physical infrastructure to provide requisite impedance and denial. In short, a physical barrier--wall--creates an enduring capability that helps field personnel stop, slow down and/or contain illegal entries. In concert with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CBP has increased its capacity to execute these funds. The Administration's full request would fund construction of a total of approximately 234 miles of new physical barrier and fully fund the top 10 priorities in CBP's Border Security Improvement Plan. This would require an increase of $4.1 billion over the FY 2019 funding level in the Senate version of the bill. Immigration Judge Teams--Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR): The President requests at least $563 million for 75 additional Immigration Judges and support staff to reduce the backlog of pending immigration cases. The Administration appreciates that the Senate's FY 2019 bill provides this level of funding, and looks forward to working with the Congress on further increases in this area to facilitate an expansion of in-country processing of asylum claims. Law Enforcement Personnel, Border Patrol Agent Hiring, CBP: The President requests $211 million to hire 750 additional Border Patrol Agents in support of his promise to keep our borders safe and secure. While the Senate's FY 2019 bill supports some Border Patrol Agent hiring, fulfilling this request requires an increase of $100 million over the FY 2019 funding level in the Senate version of the bill. Law Enforcement Personnel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): The President requests $571 million for 2,000 additional law enforcement personnel, as well as support staff, who enforce our U.S. immigration laws and help address gang violence, smuggling and trafficking, and the spread of drugs in our communities. This would require an increase of $571 million over the FY 2019 funding level in the Senate version of the bill. Detention Beds, ICE: The President requests $4.2 billion to support 52,000 detention beds. Given that in recent months, the number of people attempting to cross the border illegally has risen to 2,000 per day, providing additional resources for detention and transportation is essential. This would require an increase of $798 million over the FY 2019 funding level in the Senate version of the bill. Humanitarian Needs: The President requests an additional $800 million to address urgent humanitarian needs. This includes additional funding for enhanced medical support, transportation, consumable supplies appropriate for the population, and additional temporary facilities for processing and short-term custody of this vulnerable population, which are necessary to ensure the well-being of those taken into custody. Counter-narcotics/weapons Technology: Beyond these specific budgetary requests, the Administration looks forward to working with Congress to provide resources in other areas to address the unprecedented challenges we face along the Southwest border. Specifically, $675 million would provide Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at inbound lanes at U.S. Southwest Border Land Ports of Entry (LPOE) would allow CBP to deter and detect more contraband, including narcotics, weapons, and other materials that pose nuclear and radiological threats. This would require an increase of $631 million over the FY 2019 funding level in the Senate version of the bill. In addition, to address the humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied alien children (UACs), Democrats have proposed in-country asylum processing for Central American Minors. This would require a statutory change, along with reallocation of State Department funds to establish in- country processing capacities at Northern Triangle consulates and embassies. Furthermore, for the new procedure to achieve the desired humanitarian result, a further corresponding statutory change would be required to ensure that those who circumvent the process and come to the United States without authorization can be promptly returned home. Without the latter change, in-country processing will not reduce the unauthorized flow or successfully mitigate the humanitarian crisis.'' These upfront investments in physical barriers and technology, as well as legislation to close loopholes in our immigration system, will reduce illegal immigration, the flow of illicit drugs entering our country and reduce the long term costs for border and immigration enforcement activities. The Administration looks forward to advancing these critical priorities as part of legislation to reopen the Government. Sincerely, Russell T. Vought, Acting Director.

Mr. PERRY. The President has asked for $800 million for things like medical care for these migrants, for transportation, for meals, and for short-term custody facilities to deal with the inflow of illegal aliens our laws have caused. He has asked for 57 new immigration judge teams to process these people, hear claims with merit, and deal with claims that do not. And, yes, he asked for the wall to cover the 10 worst sites, as described by the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent entrants from pouring across the border, especially in the dead of winter and the extreme heat of summer. These are rational measures, and they are humanitarian measures. The cheap and disingenuous moralism of the Democrats in Congress has brought us to this point. They have opposed every one of these proposals to improve this system, not only in this Congress, but in every Congress before. This is the same posturing that is worsening this crisis, and I will say it again: This is a crisis. Now, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have a clear choice to make. They can bow to the demands of their radical base that believes there is no difference or distinction between citizen and noncitizen, or they can come to the table to work with the President, which is our job; to protect the vulnerable, including the 30 percent of women who are sexually assaulted on the trek to the U.S.-Mexican border, the children who are preyed upon by human trafficking rings, and the innocent who are trying to make a better life for themselves but live in fear of the drug cartels and many others; to protect our borders; and to protect American citizens. They can provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement the tools, legal and financial, to do its job. What is not up for debate is whether the children shivering on the floor because we can't house them is a crisis. That is the bottom line here. Even worse, American families are losing loved ones at the hands of illegal foreign nationals under preventable circumstances--preventable, completely preventable. Earlier today, we heard from Angel Moms, a sister and a brother, American citizens who lost loved ones because we aren't enforcing our immigration laws. This is completely and wholly unacceptable. We are a compassionate nation and a nation of laws, but the same laws apply to all of us. It is not this law for some and this law for others. We cannot allow ideology to prevent us from addressing the crisis. The situation is too dire for these people at risk, and the situation for America is critical. Tonight, the House Freedom Caucus stands with the President, and I am proud to stand with my colleagues to make the case to the American people. Madam Speaker, we will next hear from Mr. Chip Roy on the effectiveness of walls, and then we will hear from Mr. Brooks from Alabama on the danger of these uncontrolled border policies to Americans, followed by Mr. Biggs from Arizona on what it is like to live in an unsecured border because he lives in Arizona. We will hear from Mr. Hice on opioids and the way our porous borders contribute to that crisis that is affecting every single town in the country. We will hear from Mr. Griffith. We will also hear from Mr. Yoho; Mr. Meadows, our great chairman, the gentleman from North Carolina; as well as Mr. Cloud from Texas. This evening, we are going to get beyond the talking points and specifically lay out our case. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), the chairman of the Freedom Caucus.

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Brooks).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida, and I now yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cloud).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for being part of this discussion Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) for sharing his thoughts on this topic. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).

Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, we are here to talk about the promise that we made to the American people. As the proud son of immigrants, my great-grandmother escaped the child bride situation in Colombia and came here with the shirt on her back and her little girl and just enough skills to make it through in America, and she did it legally. We are a compassionate country who supports legal immigration, but we are here to talk about illegal immigration and the one chance we have left to solve that. Border security is a bipartisan issue, and it is not just about a wall or a fence. It is about stopping things like illegal immigration and human trafficking, because seeing little girls sold into sex slavery into this country is not a compassionate thing for the American taxpayer to be a part of. It is about declining economic conditions for America's working poor, knowing that the average high school dropout in America makes about $25,000 a year and, over the last 20 years, that has increased the amount of people, through illegal immigration, who don't have a high school diploma by about 25 percent. Who is standing up for the working poor that were born in this country? And then there is the abuse of the American taxpayer. Pennsylvanians, where I represent a portion of the population, paid an additional $1.3 billion in taxes this year for things like education, incarceration, healthcare, and a whole raft of social services. Senior citizens struggling to pay their property taxes in Pennsylvania risk losing their homes paying for those kind of things, and it is completely avoidable. There is the rise of the opioid crisis, where fentanyl, across the border, the southern border, has increased 750 percent since the beginning of the year. I talked to my DAs today. In the two major counties I represent, that is one death a day due to opioid and fentanyl overdose. Then there is the potential for terrorism through our southern border, where our Border Patrol says that they seize 10 terrorists a day. Mr. Speaker, regardless of all those reasons that I have just outlined, there is still just one more that is the most important, and that is that we made a promise to the American people to secure the border. This is our last chance. Nancy Pelosi will not do this, and the American people are counting on us to do what we said we would do. And that is why I am advocating for the funding package for the border in the CR, or I have to say ``no.''

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate my constituent, Paul Goldberg, for his accomplishment in earning the rank of Eagle Scout. The Eagle Scout is the highest advancement rank in scouting; only a small number of Boy Scouts earn this auspicious title. The Eagle Scout is performance-based and has high standards that have been well- maintained over the past century. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout is obligated to pass specific tests that are organized by myriad requirements and merit badges, as well as completing an Eagle Scout project to benefit the community. Paul has been recognized as a valued member of Troop 105 in Hanover, PA. He has served in various leadership positions such as Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, Historian, and Librarian. His Eagle Scout project was to build a 24ft. x 24ft. paver patio with chapel wall seating and a fire pit for the Harvest Chapel in Abbotstown, Pennsylvania. I've long appreciated the commitment of people who demonstrate hard work and selfless devotion to serving our communities and fellow citizens. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I recognize and congratulate Eagle Scout Paul Goldberg on his great accomplishment and community service. I wish Paul continued success and Godspeed in his future adventures.

Mr. PERRY

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate my constituent, Wyatt David-Griffin Jones, for his accomplishment in earning the rank of Eagle Scout. The Eagle Scout is the highest advancement rank in scouting; only a small number of Boy Scouts earn this auspicious title. The Eagle Scout is performance-based and has high standards that have been well- maintained over the past century. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout is obligated to pass specific tests that are organized by myriad requirements and merit badges, as well as completing an Eagle Scout project to benefit the community. Wyatt has been recognized as a valued member of Troop 174 in Newville, Pennsylvania. He has served in various leadership positions like Senior Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, and Troop Chaplain and has achieved over 55 merit badges during his career. His Eagle Scout project was to interview, record, and create biographies of veterans who attended his local church, honoring and maintaining their lives for us all to remember. I've long appreciated the commitment of people who demonstrate hard work and selfless devotion to serving our communities and fellow citizens. On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I recognize and congratulate Eagle Scout Wyatt David-Griffin Jones on his great accomplishment and community service. I wish Wyatt continued success and Godspeed in his future adventures.