U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) blasted the Biden administration for discontinuing the policies of former President Trump at the southern border.
Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on President Biden’s 2024 budget request, and received harsh criticism from Republicans on the committee.
Strong said the Biden administration is still not doing enough to secure the border.
“Over the last two years, Americans have watched as this administration has rolled back successful border policies, instead choosing chaos at the southern border,” Strong said. “It’s no wonder when under your direction we no longer handcuff those breaking the law, but instead handcuff our border patrol agents from being able to do their job.”
The congressman discussed what he saw during his recent trips to the border.
“I’ve been able to visit the southern border twice this year already,” he said. “What I witnessed concerns every American, and from both sides of the aisle. Cartels are taking advantage of our open borders to smuggle humans and drugs into our country at an alarming rate. These cartels have gained complete control of the southwest border and a significant portion of the U.S. drug market by establishing diverse transportation routes and advanced communications capabilities.”
Strong said the cartels are using drones to traffic drugs and other contraband.
“U.S. Border Patrol testified that, in the last year, one sector of the southern border alone had more than 10,000 illegal drone incursions and 25,000 detections,” he said. “Not only is this a grave concern for the safety of our law enforcement officers at the border, but it is a serious threat to our national security.
“During that same hearing, U.S. (Border Patrol) shared that our adversaries have 17 times the number of drones to continue to grow their operations.”
Strong criticized the Biden administration’s proposed Homeland Security Budget for 2024.
“This budget is baffling to say the least,” he said. “It proves that returning illegal aliens immediately rather than turning them lose in America is telling. The big thing in this budget that I’m concerned about is not increases in air transportation or for fuel, and that’s one of the things I believe we can do to reduce costs, is return these illegals back. It is proven that it worked.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
