Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish a happy 100th birthday to a well-loved member of the south Texas community, Captain Robert Batterson, whose friends call him Bob.

Bob has spent his life in service to a Nation that he loves. He served at Naval Air Station Pearl Harbor, where he worked on December 7, 1941. Shortly after witnessing the Pearl Harbor attack, Bob was accepted for Navy flight training. He was awarded his wings and assigned to Fighter Squadron 1.

Bob's life paints a picture of sacrifice and duty that we can all learn from. May it serve as a reminder of the price that he and others like him paid for our freedom.

After World War II, Bob did not stop his commitment to serving our great Nation. He transferred to the Navy Supply Corps, where he worked for 35 years until his retirement in 1974.

Bob raised five children, four of whom also served our Nation. And he is one of the USS Lexington Museum's first volunteers and can often be found in the aircraft carrier's Pearl Harbor exhibit.

Bob has a true passion for speaking with people of all ages about becoming personally involved in the United States' future, especially by contacting their elected Representatives.

Happy birthday to a true American hero and an inspiration to all of us, Captain Batterson.

Congress Must Regularly Review Military Engagements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a bill I am introducing today. This bill is called the Preventing Endless Armed Conflicts and Engagement Act, otherwise known as the PEACE Act.

The Constitution makes it clear that the authority to declare war rests with Congress, and it is important that Members of Congress have the opportunity to carry out our duty to regularly review current military engagements. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

Today, less than a fifth of the current Members of Congress voted on the 2001 and 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force. This statistic ignores the many Members of Congress who have been elected and since left who never got a chance to weigh in on the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

It is critical that new Members of Congress with new constituencies do their duty and provide input into military operations. It is my hope that the PEACE Act can ensure regular oversight is being conducted on future military authorizations.

First, this bill would require each military authorization, called an AUMF, to sunset after 2 years. Now, why 2 years? Well, obviously, it would give each Member of Congress and, therefore, the people they represent the opportunity to review and weigh in on ongoing conflicts.

The President, of course, has the authority to deploy military forces in an emergency and respond to imminent threats, and that would continue under

this bill. Sustained military operations, however, need approval from Congress. This is a principle firmly rooted in the Constitution, which stipulates that funding for our military should not extend beyond 2 years.

The PEACE Act would also set the standards for new military authorizations. For instance, each authorization would need to set a geographical scope on where military force can be used. A clear objective would need to be established for each authorization so that we know when victory is achieved, and the countries and groups that the U.S. is authorized to fight must be listed.

Additionally, the Departments of Defense and State would be charged with publishing an annual report on existing military operations for congressional review. This report will include information such as whether the military is meeting defined objectives, the number of casualties, and total costs.

Finally, the DOD and State Department will be required to brief Members of Congress on the contents of this report every 6 months.

It is never easy to decide between risking the lives of our troops or jeopardizing our national security. However, this is a decision that Members of Congress are elected to do, in large part because we are the body in this Federal Government that is closest to the people.

Military deployments that are accountable to we the people are one thing that sets us apart as a nation to ensure that our fight is always for what is right. We owe it to our troops. We owe it to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for organizing this. This is an essential topic in this essential time that we find ourselves.

We have a unique foundation, in that our Nation rests on the understanding that our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not a grant from this government but, rather, a gift from God.

Among these inalienable rights enshrined in our First Amendment is the freedom of speech. Indeed, the peace and tranquility of our entire Republic rest on the understanding that the people have a right to have their voice heard.

But we have entered into a most troubling time in our Nation. For all the talk of unity by this current administration, this government has sought only conformity.

In this Chamber, we have witnessed the unilateral march of the extreme-left legislation designed not to protect our liberties but, rather, force the American people to conform to their extreme ideas of government-mandated social engineering and the restructuring of an economy from the most successful model in history to one of socialism, which has failed everywhere it has been tried.

Then there is Big Tech. These companies that arose to prominence in an environment that only economic freedom and opportunity provide have now embraced authoritarianism, fostering a world that is worse than the one they hoped to correct.

They have selectively canceled conservative voices while allowing leftist members, even in this body, to repeatedly call for unrest in our streets and violence against dissenting voices.

They have allowed their platforms to raise money to bail out violent rioters, these true insurrectionists who have called for an end to America, that have burned our flags and literally taken over city blocks, declaring them autonomous to the United States.

Yes, these Big Tech platforms continue to provide a platform for Communist China, for terrorist groups, and others to spew their propaganda.

Then there are the multinational corporations that have bought into this diabolical movement. They are either ignorant to history or simply care more about their quarterly earnings report than the liberty, opportunity, or personal prosperity of their neighbors, the American people.

They would rather cozy up to the powerful to gain access to crush their competition and to protect corporate profits than stand up for the very principles and economic opportunity that enabled their own success. They do a disservice to the people of this Nation. The hypocrisy is not overlooked.

To some in our Nation who have experienced the relative peace and security that comes with being heirs of these blessings of liberty, these trends could seem novel or perhaps part of the natural ebb and flow of politics in a free society.

Sometimes it is harder for us born here to see the signs, but some of the most compelling voices sounding the alarm right now are the immigrants who come here. I have spoken to many from Cuba, Ecuador, Iran, and Venezuela. They see the signs in a way that many of us do not, and they are fearful, angered, and heartbroken.

Venezuela, just a few short years ago, was the economic jewel of South America. Today, it is a wasteland fraught with poverty, conflict, and oppression.

A couple in my district came from Iran. They are terrified by what they are now seeing here. One of them liked a post about the killing of Soleimani and found her account temporarily halted on the platform. The irony is too rich.

I spoke to a lady from Ecuador. She had come to this country at about 18 years of age with her family. Under severe persecution, she had fled the country to come here. She didn't refer to this as the United States of America.

She said: ``I come to freedom country. We have to do everything we can to protect freedom country.'' Those were her words.

So we know that while the terminology and the methods may be new, the cancel culture movement is hardly new to history. Despotic regimes have worked to silence dissent for millennia.

What is different about this moment is the broad embrace of the movement by those in positions of power within the United States of America in order to consolidate political power or perhaps preserve their personal status quo, all at the sake of the liberties of their fellow citizens.

Ronald Reagan reminded us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like to live in the United States where men were free.

It is time to restore power to the American people. It is time for people across this Nation to stand up in boardrooms and classrooms and houses of worship and in this hallowed Chamber, to stand up with courage to this evil movement.

God forbid we be the generation that allows this precious and unique experiment in self-government, this imperfect but beautiful Republic, to sink, enveloped by the undertow of the forces of envy, strife, and division. Let us not let that happen.

Let us be that generation, like generations before, that work toward that more perfect union, one that protects and preserves our beloved freedom country.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), which celebrated its 60th anniversary on April 21, 2021. CCAD is the premier rotary winged helicopter repair and maintenance facility for the United States Army. In the midst of a global pandemic, like a battle-hardened soldier, CCAD remains strong, committed, and dedicated to answering the nation's call and keeping the Army flag flying.

Originally named the U.S. Army Transportation Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Center (ARADMAC), CCAD was established on March 10, 1961, and accepted by the U.S. Army on April 21, 1961. Members of CCAD served abroad on the USNS Corpus Christi Bay--formerly the USS Albemarle-- during the Vietnam War as the Army's only floating maintenance depot, saving time, money, and lives during the conflict. The names Huey, Chinook, Black Hawk, and Apache evoke memories, pride, and gratefulness to our veterans, active duty, and retired service members and civilians alike, whether in war or peacetime.

The freedom and the security that citizens of the United States enjoy today are a direct result of the hard work and continuing commitment of CCAD to the mission given by the U.S. Army. Thousands of military, civilian, and contractor employees have walked the halls, worked in the hangars, turned the wrenches, flown the aircraft and dedicated themselves to the operation that began in 1961. The community leaders and citizens of Corpus Christi, Texas, recognize and appreciate the service of all personnel of the Corpus Christi Army Depot, past and present. We salute this great organizations' unending mission.

I wish the Corpus Christi Army Depot a happy 60th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Luis Palau, a minister and evangelist from Argentina, who eventually called the United States home.

Luis Palau passed away on March 11, 2021, leaving behind a legacy of faith, hope, and love.

His work as a passionate representative for Christ, and one of the most influential international evangelists in history, earned him the nickname of the ``Billy Graham of Latin America.'' He shared with Graham the conviction to make disciples of all nations, as Scripture commands.

His home country of Argentina, much of the Spanish-speaking world, and the United States came to know and respect him because of his faithful preaching, evangelism, and work to unite Christians and reach all peoples of all backgrounds.

With a career that spanned over a half a century, he shared the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with millions of people throughout television, radio, print, and live events. His platform enabled him to speak with and influence many political and military leaders.

In spite of all that, he once said: ``I've never thought of myself as someone special. I'm just a kid from a cow town in Argentina. Yet God grabbed my heart at a young age and chose to use me to share His good news.''

One of his favorite Scriptures, which also begins the movie about his life, is James 4:10, which says: ``Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.''

It is a good reminder for all of us.

May his family be comforted during this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Corpus Christi Army Depot, which celebrates its 60th anniversary today.

CCAD is the premier rotary-winged helicopter repair and maintenance facility for the U.S. Army.

Like a battle-hardened soldier, CCAD remains strong, committed, and dedicated to answering the Nation's call and keeping the Army flag flying.

The freedom and security that Americans enjoy today are a direct result of the hard work and continuing commitment of CCAD to the mission given by the U.S. Army.

Thousands of military, civilian, and contractor employees have walked the halls, worked in the hangars, turned the wrenches, flown the aircraft, and dedicated themselves to the operation that began in 1961.

The community leaders and citizens of Corpus Christi, Texas, recognize and appreciate the service of all personnel of CCAD, past and present.

We salute this great organization's unending mission. I wish the Corpus Christi Army Depot a happy 60th birthday today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Corpus Christi, Texas Police Chief Mike Markle on his career of public service, and to congratulate him on his upcoming retirement.

From his service in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman to his 31-year career service at the Corpus Christi Police Department, Chief Markle has consistently placed the needs of others before himself. Enlisting in the police academy in 1989, he protected the streets for many years with courage and determination. He has served as a field training officer, on the Honor Guard, and on the SWAT team.

Corpus Christi turned to him to lead during the Police Department's transition in 2015. As head of the Corpus Christi PD, he pursued excellence in leadership and a commitment to learning. His priority was to improve community outreach and address the modern challenges of policing.

His legacy of helping others stretches beyond his police work, as he currently serves on the board of directors for the Wesley Community Center. There is no question that Chief Markle left a lasting impact on the Coastal Bend region, and he will be sorely missed.

I thank him for his commitment to protecting the citizens of Corpus Christi, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Biden border crisis, the unraveling of what was once a managed situation.

We are a compassionate Nation, but lawlessness is not compassion. Aiding and abetting cartels is not compassion. Putting policies in place that allow evil actors to abuse women on a journey is not compassion. Allowing them to grow and be funded into a destabilizing force in Central and South American nations that are trying to thrive and survive and create an economy for their own people, that is not compassion.

The policies that the Biden administration has put in place have caused this crisis at the border. It is different from the previous administration that came in, inherited a problem and had to put policies in place and make difficult decisions to come up with a solution. This administration inherited a solution and has put in place policies that have created a problem.

It was predictable. It was easy to avoid. It is unfortunate that we have to be here again to talk about this today, but we are here because the lives of those affected matter. They deserve it. They need their story to be told.

It is ironic that we are taking people off the border right now, our good men and women who signed up to protect and secure our border, to defend the Constitution, and to protect our communities. We are actually taking them off the border to sit at computers to do paperwork to process what has become a migrant humanitarian crisis.

We have essentially turned our brave men and women into the last mile, so to speak, for cartel activity. The business model that the cartels have to work throughout the world to bring people to our border, to charge them thousands of dollars each while they abuse them on the journey, while they put them into indentured servitude and then hand them over to our people simply for processing. That is not what they signed up to do.

The migrants deserve better as well, as do, certainly, our communities. We understand the strategy of the cartels to overwhelm our border and our resources with the humanitarian crisis and then sneak in drugs that destroy the lives of our young people and our families.

We have to fix this. We can secure our border. We can protect the lives of these people, and we can keep this Nation strong. We can help push back the cartel influence in our Nation and throughout Central and South America.

I have a couple of fellow Members of Congress and friends here who have valuable experience. I thank them for joining me today to help us with this conversation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).

I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Posey for his comments. It is interesting of him to point out the former ``Remain in Mexico'' policy that was removed under this administration. Ironically, if you are a U.S. citizen going to Mexico, you will have to remain in Mexico and not be allowed into our very own home country unless you have a negative COVID test. However, this is not happening with the migrants at the border currently.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Gosar for his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale).

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks.

Indeed, it is true that these cartels have a weird, perverted thinking when it comes to people. For them, they are just a business product. In their mind, they can sell a kilo of coke once, but they can get residual income from a human life.

It is pathetic, disturbing, troubling, to say the least, that we, by our policies, empower this kind of activity on our southern border.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Boebert).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Boebert for her remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).

Mr. Speaker, we are indeed a compassionate Nation, we recognize that everyone on this planet are people created in the image of God. We understand that people are hurting all over the world.

The solution for that, however, is for us to be that shining city on the hill, for us to be an example to the world. For them to know that if you live by the same principles that have made this Nation into one of the brightest beacons of freedom through all of human history that you can achieve the same results.

We want people to prosper everywhere. We want every nation to prosper, and that is why we are so intent on stopping this terrible scourge that is at our southern border. These cartels are wreaking havoc in the lives of these people, and we have to put an end to this.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article titled ``Color-Coded Passage: Why Smugglers are Tagging U.S.-Bound Migrants with Wristbands.''

It has recently come to light that a number of the migrants are coming over with wristbands. The question was asked, Why?

[From Reuters, Mar. 9, 2021]

Color-Coded Passage: Why Smugglers Are Tagging U.S.-Bound Migrants With

Wristbands

(By Adrees Latif, Laura Gottesdiener, Mica Rosenberg)

Penitas, TX.--Along the banks of the Rio Grande in the

scrubby grassland near Penitas, Texas, hundreds of colored

plastic wristbands ripped off by migrants litter the ground,

signs of what U.S. border officials say is a growing trend

among powerful drug cartels and smugglers to track people

paying to cross illegally into the United States.

The plastic bands--red, blue, green, white--some labeled

arrivals or entries in Spanish, are discarded after migrants

cross the river on makeshift rafts, according to a Reuters

witness. Their use has not been widely reported before.

Some migrants are trying to evade border agents, others are

mostly Central American families or young children traveling

without parents who turn themselves into officials, often to

seek asylum.

Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector, which

spans more than 34,000 square miles (88,000 square

kilometers) along the border in southeast Texas, have

recently encountered immigrants wearing the bracelets during

several apprehensions, said Matthew Dyman a spokesman for

U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The ``information on the bracelets represents a multitude

of data that is used by smuggling organizations, such as

payment status or affiliation with smuggling groups,'' Dyman

told Reuters.

The differing smuggling techniques come as Democratic

President Joe Biden's administration has sought to reverse

restrictive immigration polices set up by his predecessor,

former President Donald Trump. But a recent jump in border

crossings has Republicans warning the easing of hardline

policies will lead to an immigration crisis.

U.S. border agents carried out nearly 100,000 apprehensions

or rapid expulsions of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in

February, according to two people familiar with preliminary

figures, the highest monthly total since mid-2019.

Mr. Speaker, a migrant in Reynosa said this: ``He paid one of the criminal groups in the city after he arrived a few months ago from Honduras to secure the purple bracelet to protect against kidnapping and extortion.''

``He said once migrants or their smugglers have paid for the right to cross the river, which is also controlled by criminal groups, they receive another bracelet.''

So basically, cartels are going throughout, they are recruiting people to come, charging them thousands of dollars. At each step along the way they have to pay another fee to get across the territory that is controlled by cartels.

One human smuggler who spoke up, of course, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the bracelets were a system to designate who was paid for the right to transit through cartel territory. And this is what he said: ``They are putting these bracelets on so there aren't killings by mistake.''

This is what we are allowing, and it is tragic. We can do better than this.

We can mitigate the influence that the cartels are having at our border, and communities throughout my State, in particular, in Texas, and throughout our Nation. We can mitigate this humanitarian and this national security crisis, and I encourage the White House to do so, and for this House to take up legislation to secure our border as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor a servant-hearted leader who cared deeply for the Victoria, Texas, community, Mayor Rawley McCoy, who passed away on March 5, 2021.

He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and those he represented as mayor and those of us who had the honor to serve alongside him. A lifelong Victorian, he described our town as a wholesome community that provided an energetic and joyful childhood.

Long before being elected mayor, he lived and worked to make our community a better place. He was inspired to become mayor and to make Victoria, as he said, the kind of place where future generations can live their American dream. I will miss working with him, as I appreciated his heart to work with and to collaborate in order to serve people.

Mr. Speaker, Rawley once said, ``We can never become a great city until all of us can sit at and are welcome at the table.''

My prayers are with him, his wife, their three children, and all who had the great pleasure of knowing Mayor Rawley McCoy.

Mr. Speaker, what we are considering here today with H.R. 8 has been dubbed a universal background check bill, but in reality, it would criminalize--let me say that again--it would criminalize the private transfer of firearms.

As part of the march to strip Americans of their guaranteed Second Amendment right, this gun control bill would make it a crime to sell or transfer a firearm without first seeking permission from the almighty Government.

The dirty secret is that the proponents of gun control, Mr. Speaker, want you to think that this is the end of the road when, in fact, that is not true. In 2013 President Obama's Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice said that the effectiveness of universal background checks depends on requiring gun registration.

So what we are witnessing here today is the first step to requiring a nationwide gun registration in America.

The Second Amendment to the Constitution says: ``A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.''

In this Nation of ``We the People,'' we recognize that we as citizens are not subjects of our government and that our inalienable rights are not a grant from the government but a gift from God, and to that end the Second Amendment doesn't grant us a right, but rather those carefully crafted words acknowledge an already existing right: the right of the people to possess a firearm.

The Constitution does not say you may or may not be able to own a firearm, we will circle back with you, we will get back with you on that.

It doesn't. It guarantees the right.

This bill does nothing to make communities more safe. This is another overreaching attempt by leftist leaders drunk on unchecked power to control the lives of freedom-loving citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a pillar of the Victoria, Texas, community, Mrs. Verlinn Sandra Avery, who passed away on January 30, 2021.

Resilient and devoted to caring for others, Mrs. Avery demonstrated her passion for serving her community through her work as a child nutrition specialist for Victoria ISD, and her leadership of Victoria's Old Landmark Committee, which she founded.

She organized Juneteenth celebrations, multicultural ``Taste of Soul'' events, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day festivities, and much more.

The impact she had on her community is evident in the Victoria newspapers, which were often filled with coverage of her events and letters to the editor thanking her for her service to the community, and now includes tributes to her memory.

Mrs. Avery is sorely missed and will be rightfully remembered as a community leader for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for taking this moment to speak on this. I cannot imagine a more important topic for us right now in this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, we are unique in history in that our Nation rests on the understanding that our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not a grant from the government; they are a gift from Almighty God. And among these enshrined in our First Amendment is the freedom of speech, which is the most essential freedom, along with the freedom of religion.

The peace and tranquility of our entire Republic is based on the understanding that we have a right to have our voice heard and that we have a right to have peaceful public discourse and dissent. That is how we come up with good legislation. That is how to have good policy. That is how we avoid conflict and wars on our soil.

But we have entered a most troubling time in our Nation. This cancel culture has persisted, and it needs to stop. The unilateral march of legislation meant not to protect our liberties, but, rather, force the American people to conform to woke ideology in this House needs to stop.

Then there is big tech that canceled conservatives while allowing for liberal Members of this body to repeatedly call for unrest in our streets and raise money to bail out violent rioters, not to mention providing a platform for Communist China terrorist groups and the like. This hypocrisy is not overlooked.

Recently traveling throughout my district the last couple weeks, I came across a few immigrants in my community. I know them. They came up to me concerned about what we are in at this point in our Nation. Some of us who are so privileged to be born in this country where we have inherited these wonderful liberties might not see the signs so readily as people who have come from Ecuador, Cuba, and Iran. But these individuals came up to me because they are very concerned. They are concerned that they left this and now they are seeing it be rooted and established here in our Nation.

Ironically, the one from Iran was concerned because she was talking to me and she had liked a post about our taking out of Soleimani and she got banned from Instagram following that. She knows firsthand what is going on in Iran. She is a first-generation immigrant. I was troubled, especially when she looked at me and said: We have more freedom of speech in Iran at this moment--this is her opinion--than we do right here right now. No one is trying to cancel people, you can speak freely against the government there.

Now, I am not saying Iran is a wonderful place to live. I am thankful to be here in the United States of America, but we are heading down a troubling path.

I remember being at an event just a couple days ago. It was before the election. Some lady was there, and she was talking to me about her motivation for being involved in the public discourse. She came up to me and said: I am from Ecuador. I remember escaping.

Her parents did not make it out, but she made it out. She didn't call it ``to the United States of America.'' She called it ``to freedom country.''

She said: We cannot lose freedom country. I am here to support this, I am here to work, and I am here to do whatever I can because we cannot lose freedom country.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to stand up along with our colleagues because we cannot lose freedom country. It is extremely and essentially important that

we in this House and people across the United States of America stand up in this hour at this time.

Ronald Reagan once said--and I have said this before to many people, encouraging them how important it is to get involved in the process and also to thank our veterans--``Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.''

I thought about that quote. There is another part of it that has resonated with me even more and more in this time, and it is: ``Or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.''

God forbid that we continue down this path and reach that point where we have to tell our kids and grandkids about what it was once like to live in the beloved United States where men were free.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for setting aside this Special Order. I cannot imagine a more important topic.

I certainly do.

Sure. You know my family, you know my wife. I have had those comments put on me that I somehow don't like Brown people and that I am somehow racist. They fail sometimes to look at my family photo. My wife is an immigrant. I didn't marry her because she was an immigrant. I married because I loved her. I met her when she was 15. I was 17 at the time. We had a long-distance relationship. I met her back before Al Gore invented the internet.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you what an honor it was for her to stand there in the U.S. courthouse, raise her hand and take the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time and become a citizen of this great country.

So we understand that there is a proper way to do immigration. We want a big, beautiful gate to this country. But to say that we need to secure our communities and keep out the cartel activity, I serve on the Interparliamentary Group between the U.S. and Mexico, so I have had the opportunity to talk with our colleagues in Mexico. I talk to them about how arrogant of a notion it is for us to assume that the way we heal the world's ills is to bring everybody to the United States. That notion is uniquely American arrogant.

We want people to prosper everywhere. And what we know from our unique history is that if you embrace the principles this Nation was founded upon, you can have the same sort of prosperity. You can have your people prosper everywhere.

When I said that thought, we got resounding applause from them because they understand that our wanting to secure their borders, we want their communities to thrive, we want our communities along the border to be protected, and we want migrants not to be persecuted and abused along the way.

Mr. Chair, I was at the White House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 403, ''nay'' on rollcall No. 404, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 405, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 406.

personal explanation

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, this last week, I once again got the opportunity to visit the Texas-Mexico border for an updated look at the situation, and I can confirm that this is certainly not a manufactured crisis. Our border resources are completely overwhelmed.

For those of us from Texas, we have understood the situation for quite some time, and what we saw was an overworked, vastly underfunded Border Patrol trying to deal with an overwhelming flood of migrants and dangerous criminal cartels.

Cartels smuggler fees for illicit activity in the Rio Grande Valley Sector are estimated to be about $80 million each week. Our Border Patrol's budget in that sector is around $30 million per year. There is no way for our good men and women in the border services to compete with this kind of mismatch.

The situation is unsustainable. The phrase we heard repeatedly from Border Patrol agents is: ``There is no end in sight.'' And, indeed, the numbers that we expect to be released soon will probably show over 130,000 migrants have crossed just in May.

What is already a crisis will only get worse unless we act. This is, indeed, a very real crisis, a humanitarian crisis, a criminal crisis, and a national security crisis. This needs our attention now.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize John LaRue, a resident of Corpus Christi, for his commitment to his community and to the Port of Corpus Christi.

Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, John LaRue spent the first half of his career assisting the City of Philadelphia and its Port Authority. In 1994, Mr. LaRue relocated to Corpus Christi to became the Executive Director of the Port of Corpus Christi Authority. His responsibilities included organizing, planning, and administering the Port Authority's activities.

Thanks to Mr. LaRue's 25 years of leadership, the Port of Corpus Christi transformed from a Regional Port Authority to the ``Energy Port of the Americas'' and the fourth-largest port in the United States. The Port is a key contributor to America's global energy dominance and is continuing to expand. Mr. LaRue's widespread expertise on port policy is lauded both domestically and internationally.

In addition to providing leadership and guidance for the POCCA, Mr. LaRue also serves on multiple advisory boards and panels. He is Chairman of the State of Texas Department of Transportation Port Advisory Committee and serves as a member of the Port Industries of Corpus Christi, as well as on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Port Authorities.

On the occasion of his upcoming retirement, I would like to extend to John LaRue my thanks and appreciation for his valuable work at the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, and on the next exciting chapter of his life