Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz wants Congress to step up and protect America’s border. He has openly criticized the Biden administration for its failures to secure the border which places Americans at risk.

Congress hasn’t done much of anything to correct problems at the border. Millions of illegal immigrants have flooded across the border since Biden took office and something must be done.

Gaetz wants to remove Biden and his federal agency appointees from the equation. The Florida Republican believes this can be accomplished by empowering states to take action. Gaetz on Tuesday introduced a bill to bolster states’ rights to defend the southern border.

From the Daily Caller:
“Last month, the Supreme Court gave the Biden administration the ability to destroy border fencing erected by Texas to protect its citizens from illegal aliens,” Gaetz said. “Since the Biden administration refuses to take action, Congress must empower states to defend themselves against the unprecedented invasion at the Southern Border.”

The bill, titled the State Border Security Act, specifically stops federal officers from removing any barriers set up by state governments within 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. This includes barbed wire fencing set up by Texas. The Gaetz bill is House companion legislation to a measure introduced by Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance in January.

“My legislation, along with Sen. Vance’s, will codify that states along the Southern Border have the right to protect their territory,” Gaetz said.

Biden has failed to secure the southern border at a level that is almost unbelievable. A record 2 million migrants were encountered by federal agents at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021. The wide-open border situation resulted in the seizure of $3.31 billion in counterfeit goods, roughly 319,000 pounds of marijuana, over 190,000 pounds of methamphetamine and over 97,000 pounds of cocaine, according to published numbers from the federal government.

Biden has been responsible for the border crisis since he first invited migrants to cross illegally into the U.S. during his presidential campaign. He quickly signed an executive order in January 2021 that stopped the construction of the border wall that was started by former President Donald Trump.

Biden has continued his assault on border security, including when he ended Title 42 on May 11, 2023. This was a public health action that allowed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS was able to quickly deport migrants on public health grounds.

The Gaetz and Vance bills are needed to give states the legal ability to secure the border and counter the open-border actions of the Biden administration.

Key Takeaways:

• An historic bill was unveiled by Matt Gaetz to give states more power along the border.
• The House legislation mirrored a Senate measure that bars feds from tearing down barriers.
• Gaetz’ bill countered the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lets Biden cut barbed wire fences.

Source: Daily Caller