Homeland Security

Every day, law enforcement officers in communities across our country serve with tireless vigilance, often placing the well-being and safety of their communities above their own. To honor their courage and sacrifice, in 1962, President John F. Kennedy designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which this date falls as National Police Week.

The lack of security at our southern border is deeply troubling, and the crisis continues to worsen. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), March encounters on our southern border rose nearly 25 percent over February. This crisis brings serious risks to our homeland security, grows fentanyl’s scourge on our public health, and has led to a massive humanitarian crisis that has only been made worse by the policies of the Biden administration.

Every day, events around the world, such as the recent outbreak of violence in Sudan, emphasize how fragile peace can be. As an internal power struggle between rival military leaders erupted into lethal clashes, American diplomats have been evacuated and hundreds of thousands of refugees have been displaced. Sadly, this – along with the ongoing war in Ukraine – brings into sharp focus the importance and challenge of achieving security through peaceful means on the international stage.

From calving and planting to spring cleaning to graduations, busyness often seems to take on a special intensity across the early months of the year. This year has been no exception, and in the House of Representatives the new Majority has been hard at work on behalf of the American people.

This week, as the nation listened and watched, President Biden gave the second State of the Union address of his presidency. Over the last year the American people have struggled under historic inflation, rising crime rates, and severe economic uncertainty. In the week prior, we also witnessed an airborne intelligence gathering tool with confirmed ties to the Chinese Communist Party traveling across nearly the entire continental United States. With the same slowness to act which has characterized his administration, Biden permitted the spy balloon to remain in U.S.

One month into the 118^th Congress, we are forging ahead with our Commitment to America. In order to restore a strong American economy, we are working to exercise oversight over reckless federal spending and the failed White House policies that have hamstrung recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the severe inflation and large-scale layoffs we’ve seen throughout the first 23 months of the Biden presidency.

As I reflect on the last year and anticipate enjoying time with loved ones during the holidays, I’m filled with both gratitude and resolve.

As Americans, we have been granted an unrivaled heritage of freedom and prosperity which we now must secure for future generations.

As Vladimir Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine continues and China’s aggression towards Taiwan intensifies, we must take steps to ensure we have sound national security policy at home and abroad. Iran, which is undergoing turmoil over internal human rights protests, has contributed arms used in Russia’s recent attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.