Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Inside Out Academy. The leaders of Inside Out Academy--Samuel and LaKenya Evans, have shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to make a difference. This powerful team are both veterans of education and have had a love for education since high school. They tirelessly serve the rural MS Delta through education that is both challenging and fun. LaKenya Evans is an eighteen-year veteran educator who has lived in the Mississippi Delta her entire life. The first twelve years of her career were spent in the classroom teaching grades spanning from first to twelfth. Having taught several courses, reading and career discovery are two she deems most rewarding for her career because of the immediate joy and benefits to her students. LaKenya has earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education in Elementary Education, as well as an Educational Specialist in Educational Administration and Supervision. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from Belhaven University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Mississippi Professional Educators, National Education Association, and Mississippi Literary Association. Dr. Samuel C. Evans, Jr. was born and reared in the Mississippi Delta and is a product of Greenville Public School District. After high school, he attended Delta State University in Cleveland, MS, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. He is a twenty- seven-year veteran in K-12 public education and has given all his years of service to the Mississippi Delta. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Mississippi Profession of Educators, and National Educators Association. The mission of Inside Out Academy promotes academic, social, and emotional growth among youths by cultivating knowledge through creativity, cultural awareness, career exploration, college preparation, and character development. This dynamic duo firmly believes children are the seeds of hope for our tomorrow and believe in the power that they hold and know that they will mold future generations to come. At Inside Out Academy, they are dedicated to give them the support they need to shape them into leaders of the future. They are committed to engaging them in activities that build communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity skills. They seek to develop partnerships with community agencies, organizations, and schools to provide resources for prevention of social issues such as bullying, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, discrimination, economic deprivation, financial illiteracy, and obesity. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Inside Out Academy for their dedication, leadership, advocacy, and creativity in education. Their selfless service to their communities and the Rural MS Delta Region is commended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable person, Waikinya Clanton of Canton, Mississippi. Waikinya Clanton is the State Office Director at Southern Poverty Law Center. One of Waikinya's professional accomplishments is helping to direct nearly $1.5 million in funds to nonprofit organizations who were looking to help educate and strengthen engagement of communities in electoral politics, to help train women to skillfully assume elected office and empower and influence them to disrupt politics on a local, state, and federal level. Previously, Clanton has served as senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee chair. She was the National Executive Director of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, where she led efforts that fueled electoral victories for Black women. In addition, she was a key aide to my Congressional staff as well. She also served as an Equity Adviser on race, gender, policy, and public engagement for social networking company Nextdoor and cosmetics retailer Sephora. Clanton is a graduate of Tougaloo College, where she earned her bachelor's degree in sociology. She earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She is a certified political operative through the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's political education and training Boot Camp as well as The Campaign School at Yale University, which is dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected and appointed office. Clanton is a certified Diversity and Inclusion Specialist through Cornell University's diversity and inclusion certification program. Clanton is also the founder of Who's Who of MS Women and is a Black Church Digital Equity Fellow with the Multicultural Media, Telecom, and Internet Council as well as a Public Policy Fellow with the Eric H. Holder Public Policy Institute at Tougaloo College. She is also the inventor of the new card game, Quonvo. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing my former staff member, Waikinya Clanton for her dedication to the oppression within the state of Mississippi.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Local Organizing Committee (LOC). LOC has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to make a difference in their community. The LOC of Greenville, MS, is a collaboration of various organizations, churches, business owners, community leaders, activists and grassroot organizers that work together through their resources to culturally and holistically improve the conditions in which their community lives. They work diligently throughout the community and surrounding areas to bring awareness, education, empowerment, outreach, training and self-help programs through love and unity. The LOC is organizations that through planning and action committees work to give the community a voice. The LOC's mission is to be the liaison between the people and the local government in overcoming difficulties that face the black community. Under the 3M-Model and The National Agenda, they work to accomplish this mission. The town hall meetings are the driving force that they use to reach people. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing The Local Organizing Committee for their outstanding service and commitment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable servant, Mrs. Sabrina Tanner-Moore. Sabrina is the proud daughter of the late Fred Tanner and Jerlean Gamble. She is the amazing mother of three--Keldrick Tanner, Diamond Moore, and Jarquarius Moore; and two beautiful grandkids--Dylan Kace and Kali Ivy. She's a lifelong resident of Greenwood, Mississippi. After graduating with honors from Elzy High School in 1989, she continued her education at Alcorn State University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, in 1993. In the year 2000, Sabrina graduated suma cum laude from Mississippi Valley State University with a Master of Art in Teaching. In 2009, Sabrina obtained an Administrative license. After completing tedious coursework in 2014 in education with concentration in Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development, Sabrina obtained her Specialist Degree while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. With education being her forte, Sabrina began her teaching career in 1993 with Greenwood Public Schools as a Substitute Teacher with genuine love for helping others to excel. In 1998, Sabrina became a highly Certified Teacher. She's taught 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade English. She's also served as an adjunct teacher at Mississippi Delta Community College, where she taught beginning English courses. In 2012, she served as the District Instructional Coach for the Greenwood Public Schools District. In 2013, she served as an Assistant Principal at Threadgill Elementary, and at Greenwood High School in 2016. In 2019, she became the Chief/Director of the Greenwood Alternative School for the Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District. Sabrina has been in the educational field for 28 years, and recently retired in December 2022. In February 2023, she launched her skincare business, Body Luck. Sabrina has received numerous awards and recognitions while employed with Greenwood Public Schools. Sabrina has been an active member of Delta Sigma Theta since her inception in 1993 with Delta Epsilon at Alcorn State University. She has served in many capacities with the Greenwood-Itta Bena Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Sabrina enjoys reading, traveling, shopping, dancing, teaching, volunteering, and spending quality time with family and friends, and making handmade soaps and other skincare products. She is happily married to her wonderful husband, Dwight Moore of Greenwood, MS. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Sabrina Tanner-Moore for her dedication and tenacity to serving her community and desire to be an example for all.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Executive Director and Entrepreneur Dr. Nakisha McCray Watts. Dr. Nakisha McCray Watts was born to James McCray and Catherine Doyle, and raised in Lambert, MS. Dr. Watts is 36 years old. She is the wife of DeJuan Watts, Jr., and the mother of Harlem Mulan Watts, DeJuan Kingston Watts, and KeJuan Amir Watts. Dr. Watts graduated in 2005 from Madison S. Palmer High School in Marks, MS. Afterwards, she attended Rust College in Holly Springs, MS, as a Business Management Major. She also became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. For a few years after graduating from Rust College, she enrolled in graduate school at Mississippi Valley State University in Business Administration and graduated in 2012. She then enrolled into Jackson State University in the Urban Higher Education Ph.D. Program and graduated 2018. Dr. Watts served as the Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition Director for Quitman and Tallahatchie Counties from 2010-2012 with Delta Health Alliance. She was named the top Director of Mississippi-by-Mississippi Department of Health in 2011. From there, Dr. Watts was promoted to Program Manager with Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program in 2012-2020. Dr. Watts became the Director of Admissions and Registrar at Coahoma Community College in 2020, where she was challenged to increase enrollment during the peak of the pandemic. She increased enrollment using innovating recruitment tactics such as Tiger Talk, High School Day Tour etc. and used stakeholders in the community to recruit students. Dr. Watts also serve as an adjunct instructor at Mississippi Valley State University and Delta State University. She is also the founder of SHEUplifts, LLC., which is designed to uplift and empower women of all ages by educating, providing resources, and coaching women to push them to their desired level. She has offered entrepreneur workshops, professional development training and women empowerment events such as Millionaire Chic's, conferences, girls youth camps, and brunches. With a decade of experience, Dr. Watts has been a leader in the non- profit sector with skills of implementing, budgeting, and sustaining programs in the communities. She began her career as a Youth Financial Literacy Mentor with Quitman County Development Organization and has always made community, economic development, and students the focus of her work. Dr. Watts continues her community initiatives by serving as President of Quitman County Middle School Parent Teacher Organization, Member of Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition of Quitman and Tallahatchie Counties, Member of Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition for Coahoma and Tunica Counties, Treasure of Quitman County Economic Tourism and Development Inc., and Social Action Chair of Clarksdale-Marks Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Nakisha McCray Watts for her dedication to serving this great state and country.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and self-motivated leader, Mr. Arthur Harris. Mr. Harris has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to achieve. Arthur ``Bobo'' Harris was a star football player and track athlete for Vicksburg High in the early 1980s and went on to play football at Southern Miss. Harris, the Gators' quarterback his senior year, played in the 1982 Mississippi All-Star Game and was an all-state selection at three different positions. He was also selected as the student-athlete of the year in Mississippi. Harris was inducted into the 2022 Vicksburg Warren School District Athletic Hall of Fame. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Arthur Harris for his passion and dedication to the Vicksburg Warren School District.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the inaugural class of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Intelligence and Cybersecurity Diversity Fellowship (ICDF) Program. The ICDF program, authorized in the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, is targeted at helping DHS cultivate diverse talent to join the ranks of its intelligence and cybersecurity offices and components, including the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The spring class of 2023 includes 15 fellows who represent over 10 States and territories, and universities small and large, including a minority-serving institution. I am proud to recognize these talented, future public servants and am confident that the country will become a better and safer nation because of their contributions. Congratulations: Christine Atkins, Miriam Canales, Alexander Clark, Reyben Cortes, MacKenzie Finck, Chanel Hinton, Ethan Hwang, Nathan Kuruvilla, Veronika Kyles, Christian Lopez, Mya Miller, Denzel Montes- Melendez, Erin Sullivan, Baine Tanner, and Regina Thomas.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to demand that Republicans fulfill their job and pay America's bills. House Republicans have rushed out of town knowing that they are essentially forcing a default that will be extremely expensive for families. We know what comes next: unemployment will double, retirement savings will be lost, and costs for everything from mortgages to vehicle payments will increase. Extreme MAGA Republicans, though, are still to blame for America's current economic disaster. They have departed town, leaving behind working families. Democrats have come together to resolve the debt without playing political games. Republicans who identify as ``moderate'' cannot hide. Either they side with Team Extreme, or they join us to end this crisis.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Republicans claim that the Biden administration's policies have led to open borders, but nothing could be further from the truth. President Biden has, with little help from Congress, worked to dissuade migrants from taking the dangerous journey northward. The Biden administration is surging resources to the border. Even as it ramps down title 42 removals, it is using title 8 authorities to promptly remove and bar reentry from certain crossers. At the same time, the Biden administration is working to make the asylum process more orderly through the CBP One app. It has also stood up a parole process for certain Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Cuban, and Haitian migrants that in March were credited with a drop of 72 percent in the 7-day average from a high of 1,231 in January. H.R. 2 would take those tools away from DHS. Mr. Speaker, in the unlikely event that this cruel, extreme, and unworkable bill makes it to the President's desk, he has promised to veto it. To quote the Statement of Administration Policy: ``H.R. 2 does nothing to address the root causes of migration, reduces humanitarian protections, and restricts unlawful pathways, which are critical alternatives to unlawful entry.'' It goes on to say: ``This bill would make things worse, not better.'' Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the administration's statement. Statement of Administration Policy

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the child deportation act provision requiring DHS to negotiate with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to return unaccompanied children will result in 550,000 children being deported back to the violence they fled from over a 10-year period. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2 is an anti-immigrant and un-Christian bill, just as legislation previously introduced by Representative Roy was. That is why nearly 150 community and religious groups oppose it. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters in opposition from 136 community and religious groups, including Bethany Christian Services, Catholic Charities, and Union for Reform Judaism, Sojourners, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Jesuit Conference. May 8, 2023. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Vote Recommendation Opposing H.R. 2 Secure the Border Act of 2023 Dear Representative: The undersigned state, local, and national immigration, civil rights, public health, education, religious, labor, climate justice, and other organizations write to respectfully request that you VOTE NO on H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, set to receive a vote on the House floor on May 11. The bill would dismantle the asylum system and cause immeasurable harm to immigrant communities. The newly elected majority is driving an intentionally divisive agenda to amplify anti-immigrant animus without moral and effective policy solutions. We ask you to oppose this anti-immigrant bill that would: 1. Deport Unaccompanied Children. The bill would end Health & Human Services funding for legal representation of unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings, depriving children of the attorneys their safety depends upon. It would also provide only a cursory screening process for children at the border, risking children's summary return to human trafficking and other dangers. The bill subjects all unaccompanied children to an accelerated removal process worse than what currently exists, and allows for detention of unaccompanied children in jail-like border facilities for up to 30 days--ten times longer than permitted under current law. 2. End Asylum. The bill would effectively shut down our current asylum system by adding dozens of new restrictions on asylum, including eliminating the right to seek asylum for those who cross the border between ports of entry and barring asylum for those who transit through a third country. It would make it nearly impossible for migrants to seek asylum in the U.S. and significantly easier to deport asylum seekers, including families and children, into harm's way. This will only sow chaos at the border, rather than ameliorating it. 3. Restart `Remain in Mexico'. The bill would restart the failed and dangerous Remain in Mexico program for all migrants, including unaccompanied children who were previously exempted under the Trump administration. Seeking to unilaterally return asylum seekers to other countries without consulting the receiving country nor the migrant results in refoulement of the migrant to danger and problematic foreign policy implications. 4. Jail Immigrant Families. The bill would require family detention for any families attempting to enter the U.S. to seek asylum, as well as any families who previously entered the U.S. without visas. Like all immigration detention, family detention centers have a well-documented history of abusive conditions, including inadequate medical care and mental health deterioration for asylum seekers, survivors of trauma, and children. 5. Mandate E-Verify. The bill would require E-Verify for all employers in the U.S., severely damaging our economy, harming American workers, and resulting in billions of dollars in lost government revenue. National implementation of E-Verify raises concerns about efficiency, due process, and racial profiling and decreased employment among Latinos. 6. Gut Programs that Work: The bill would strip funding for the Alternative To Detention Case Management Pilot Program, Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the vital Shelter and Services Program, which has helped communities around the country receive reimbursement for costs related to humanitarian responses to migration. These programs have been effective at providing services crucial to preventing more deaths under CBP custody and immigrant detention and have reduced impacts on receiving communities. 7. Burden our Local Communities by Making it Impossible for Employers to Hire Asylum Seekers with Work Authorization. This bill eliminates work authorization for asylum seekers who cross between ports of entry and requires six month renewal periods for asylum-based employment authorization. Combined with USCIS processing time, this would effectively make it impossible for businesses, even in the face oflabor shortages, to employ asylum seekers. These provisions will exponentially increase the backlogs at users and make it even more difficult for USCIS to timely process applications. This runs counter to bipartisan efforts to improve the employment authorization process for asylum seekers and will create an unnecessary burden on local communities. 8. Undermine Essential Partnerships with Humanitarian Organizations. The bill would bar any and all DHS funding for NGOs, including faith-based NGOs, that provide shelter, transportation, food or legal assistance to vulnerable immigrants, including those who arrive on a visa and later become ``inadmissible.'' Congress should be investing more in non-profit organizations providing respite care, legal service providers, trauma-informed care and community-based service providers, not subjecting them to the punitive measures in this legislation. This measure would impact NGOs across the country that receive DHS funding, including organizations working with FEMA during an emergency-it's ``show me your papers'' for the Red Cross. 9. Resume Building Trump's Border Wall. The bill would restart the construction of the border wall, a harmful waste of taxpayer resources. It would allow DHS to exempt all border infrastructure construction, development, operation, and maintenance from any law except the Constitution, thereby reducing the rule of law at our borders. The bill would also restrict the ability for landowners, local communities and tribes to assert legal challenges opposing the construction of the wall, and thus pave the way for irreparable and unchecked harms to the borderlands. We have already seen the negative consequences from the Trump Administration era resulting in: bulldozed Native American burial sites; dynamited pristine mountain wilderness; segments of the wall being constructed in flood plains; and the unjust seizing of private ranches and farmlands. 10. Eliminate Parole Authority. The bill would decimate the parole power that presidents historically have used to parole individuals in response to humanitarian emergencies or in furtherance of foreign policy objectives. It also precludes the President's recent parole programs for Ukrainians, Afghans, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaragruans, and Venezuelans, and cuts work authorization for parolees. 11. Jail Any Person who Overstays a Visa. The bill would jail and penalize immigrants who have violated any condition of their visa or overstayed by 10 days or more, even for violations that occur due to circumstances beyond the individuals' control such as a medical emergency. This provision would even make it a crime for anyone on a visa to apply for asylum, given they would not have left once their visa expired. Congress should focus on solutions that regularize the status of long-term residents and fix our broken immigration system. 12. Balloon Border Agents. The bill would require Border Patrol to hire enough agents to reach 22,000 on board (currently there are roughly 19,500) and restrict Border Patrol agents from performing ``duties of processing coordinators.'' Processing coordinators currently perform duties such as transporting and processing migrants and carrying out mandatory welfare checks. With only around 1,000 processing coordinators currently in the field, this restriction would seriously hinder Border Patrol's efforts to fairly and efficiently process asylum seekers and carry out their law enforcement mission. CBP is overfunded with funding streams that push resources towards enforcement and wasteful surveillance, while humanitarian needs go underfunded. We urge you to vote in ways that protect immigrants and VOTE NO against H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023 in the upcoming floor vote. We must oppose racist, xenophobic, unconstructive proposals that add fuel to hate and present no constructive and moral solutions. Thank you for your time and attention. Sincerely, National Organizations: #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign, African Communities Together, Alianza Americas, America's Voice, American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Psychological Association, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Asian Americans Advancing Justice AAJC, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence,

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, while the imposition of a nationwide E-Verify on all businesses found in this bill is not part of the Homeland Security division, it still affects me as a Member of Congress from a rural part of the country. I cannot overstate how damaging this language is to the agriculture labor in my district. Many of my rural Republican colleagues know this, too. To put it bluntly, if enacted, this bill will force American farmers to go out of business. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of opposition against the child deportation act from the AFL-CIO; SEIU, Service Employees International Union; and the Agriculture Workforce Coalition.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would ``affect the legal status of about 4.4 million people who would be granted parole or asylum under current law.'' Parolees fleeing war in Ukraine and the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as those from Haiti and other failed countries in this hemisphere would be required to leave the United States, and CBO anticipates that ``half would reside unlawfully in the United States.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Sorensen).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2 does nothing to combat illicit narcotics like fentanyl. If Republicans were serious about border security, they would have joined Democrats in passing last year's government funding bill, which provided $70 million for intrusive inspection technology at ports of entry where most dangerous drugs are interdicted. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Salinas).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, if Republicans were serious about border security, they would have joined Democrats in passing last year's government funding bill, which paid for an increase of 300 Border Patrol agents, the first increase since the Obama administration. Not only did the last speaker not support it, she voted to have 1,400 Border Patrol agents fewer in the field under the extreme MAGA Republican default on America act. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Thanedar).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2 squeezes Customs and Border Patrol officers working at ports of entry by failing to provide resources to cover the increased workload that will result from the bill. If Republicans were serious about border security, they would have joined Democrats in passing last year's government funding bill, which appropriated $60 million to hire an additional 125 CBP officers. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, at some point you have to correct the Record. We had a debt ceiling budget vote several weeks ago. The Republican-approved debt ceiling budget would cut the DHS budget by 22 percent. So you can't be for something, but you don't invest in what you say you are for. I will step back a little further and say that if Republicans are really serious about border security, then they would have joined Democrats in passing last year's government funding bill. It provided more than $17 billion to Customs and Border Protection alone and a 17 percent increase in the Border Patrol budget, but unfortunately, Speaker McCarthy voted against that, too. Democrats have been to the border. In April of this year, I took nine Members to the border. We talked to a lot of people. I have been on the committee quite a while. I have gone to the border a number of times to see, so one visit I didn't go to is not the end of the world. I was on the border before the Speaker was in Congress, so there is history here that we just need to make sure that we all understand. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, the extreme MAGA Republican default on America act, which the last Speaker voted for, would result in CBP not being able to seize nearly 900 pounds of fentanyl because of the draconian cuts to its budget. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Robert Garcia).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from California.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. Mr. Speaker, it is remarkable that Republicans are getting behind the child deportation act, a bill that would blow a $6.1 billion hole in our Federal budget at the same time that they are feigning concern about the Federal deficit. Today, the other side has said a lot about how the Biden administration is handling the ending of title 42, but remarkably, not one of them acknowledged that they voted to lift it in February. Enactment of H.R. 2 would do nothing to keep fentanyl out of our communities or protect unaccompanied children. Just for the record, in our section of the bill, fentanyl is not even mentioned. I would hope at some point the other two discussions tomorrow might talk a little more directly about fentanyl if it is in there. It is not in our section at this point. For the record, the information that we have about 90 percent of the fentanyl coming into the country comes from the Chief of the Border Patrol. It is his information. We can only take him at his word. Those five ports of entry that the chair talked about, that was not what he said. He said it was in Mexico, not in the U.S., in terms of being controlled by the cartels. I think we all will admit the cartels do not control the border within the boundaries of the United States. It is a play on words, but at least we can be accurate with that. In terms of how we determine who comes, who is captured, and how the fentanyl is collected, I suggest that you talk to the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, or DEA. They are the persons who interview the people who are caught at our ports of entry. More importantly, most of the people who we catch at our ports of entry are American citizens. They are not, for the most part, immigrants or aliens, or whatever you want to call them, trying to come into this country illegally. They are American citizens. In terms of guns, the cartels are a violent operation. There is no question about it. We need to do everything that we can to stop them. We can't keep American guns from going to Mexico unless we come up with an enhanced policy to do that. We have to acknowledge that the majority of the guns that the cartels are using are coming from the United States. As the record will reflect, there is only one gun store in the entire country of Mexico. It takes months for an individual to even get cleared to buy a gun. We just want the record to reflect the truth. Enactment of H.R. 2, as I said, would do nothing to keep fentanyl out of our communities or protect unaccompanied children. What it will do is penalize communities and religious organizations that care for vulnerable people. Section 115(b) is so broad that a nonprofit hospital that admits an undocumented migrant would be deemed as facilitating unlawful activities. Cartels and smugglers are champing at the bit to see this bill enacted into law. H.R. 2 would create conditions where desperate people will be left with few options but to try to enter the U.S. illegally between ports of entry. It would be a boon for smugglers' illicit business. We should be coming together to enact sensible border and immigration policies that support our communities and economy. We can do better than the child deportation act. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this extreme MAGA bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on February 1, the last speaker voted against the public health emergency that served as the legal basis for the use of title 42 at the southwest border. My colleagues want to have it both ways, which is why, I guess, he supports H.R. 2, the child deportation act. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a hard-working and impactful leader, Mr. A'Davion D. Bush. Mr. Bush has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to achieve success. Mr. Bush is a 17-year-old resident of Indianola, Mississippi, and a senior at Gentry High School. Originally, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, he moved to the state of Mississippi in 2016 at the age of 11. Moving to Mississippi, he found it to be one of the best decisions he's made in his life and is the most important decision he's made. Living in rural Mississippi, he found that his calling was to serve people, stand up for people, speak for those who can't speak up for themselves, and stand in the gap for people. Today, in his community, he's a community advocate, public servant, and companion. Continuing, he's the founder of the Sunflower County NAACP youth chapter along with a friend, he serves as a legislative assistant to a Mississippi State Representative, and most importantly, he's a teen influencer for Teen Health Mississippi, which is an organization that allows him to advocate for high-quality sex education for all schools across Mississippi right in the Mississippi Capitol. He serves on the Mississippi State Superintendent of School Student Council, which allows him to represent Gentry High school to the fullest and it's something he cherishes all the time. To conclude some of the work he does, he's the founder of Project Chance, which is a project that helps improve the quality of justice- involved youth mental health by finding ways they can combat them. Project Chance's mission is dedicated to an initiative that will give attention and proper treatment to juveniles facing mental health challenges. Project Chance will promote and assist individuals in developing skills that will greatly enhance their mindset, behavior, character, and vision of themselves and others. Project Chance will promote productivity, professionalism, and so much more that will greatly benefit today's communities. After high-school, he plans to attend The University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi. With confidence, he will further his education in the studies of political science or public policy, which will allow him to enter an accredited program that will allow him to get his juris doctorate in 6 years. Upon graduating college, he plans to move back to the Mississippi Delta or the metropolitan area of Mississippi to serve impoverished communities and provide equal access to legal representation and do so much other work to better all the lives around him. While practicing law, he wants to run for political offices starting at the municipal or county level, moving to the state level, whether that be in the state legislature or state executive office, such as being governor of Mississippi, then potentially U.S. Congress, and concluding with the Presidency of the United States. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. A'Davion D. Bush for his passion, dedication, and tenacity to serving his community and desire to be an example for all.