Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – February 6, 2023

The House of Representatives was full steam ahead this week as we work to get our country back on track. The Judiciary Committee heard from victims and personnel on the ground regarding the devastating impacts of the border crisis. Also, the House passed two pieces of legislation to get federal employees back to the office and to denounce the devastating ideology of socialism. Additionally, I was proud to celebrate the Woodstock Fire Department’s 200th anniversary and enjoyed meeting with constituents throughout the Capitol. The President is set to address the Nation during the annual State of the Union next week. As we face multi-faceted crises created by Joe Biden’s ineptitude, from sky-high inflation to the open border to high energy prices, House Republicans will continue working for the American people.

Returning to Law and Order, Securing the Border
Restoring law and order in America begins with securing our southern border. The House Judiciary Committee has oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and we began the first of many hearings on the Biden administration’s disastrous handling of the southern border. We heard from a father who lost his 15-year-old son to fentanyl poisoning by a drug dealer who sold counterfeit pills. We also heard from Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County, Arizona, who told us that the criminal cartels are exploiting the border, and enslaving illegal migrants in drug smuggling and sex trafficking operations.

The facts speak to the need to address this crisis:

-4.7 million illegal crossings since Biden took office

-251,487 migrant encounters at the border in December alone, and 70,000 ‘got-aways’

-38 illegal immigrants on the Terrorist Screening Database have been apprehended attempting to cross the border so far in this fiscal year since October

This crisis must be fixed not only by oversight and exposure, but by a change in failed policy. The Biden administration must end ‘catch and release,’ fully reimplement ‘Remain in Mexico,’ and finish border wall construction. If the administration does not come to the table to fix these policies, there will be consequences, especially for DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas due to his dereliction of duty to protect the homeland. To address this crisis, I’ve supported H.R. 597, the Stop the Cartels Act, which would rapidly combat the cartels’ human trafficking operations and stop the flow of illegal migrants by imposing harsher punishments on the cartels. I’ve also cosponsored H.R. 29, the Border Safety and Security Act, which would tackle the flooding of migrants at our border by requiring DHS to turn away illegal migrants who do not have valid documents to enter the U.S., while requiring detainment for legitimate asylum claims as adjudication proceeds. House Judiciary Republicans have many more questions ahead on the Biden administration’s catastrophe at the southern border, and I look forward to getting answers the American people deserve.

The President’s Late Budget and the Fiscal Crisis
President Biden is on track to miss his deadline of the first Monday of February to submit a budget for the third year in a row, delaying the budget process. Equally troubling is that the President and his administration have shown no signs that they intend to offer a balanced budget. As the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) Budget and Spending Task Force, I, along with RSC Chairman Rep. Kevin Hern and our colleagues, wrote to President Biden demanding answers on this failure and urging swift action on the budget process, as the national debt breaches the current limit of $31.4 trillion. With the new 118th Congress, Democrats and Republicans must take this opportunity to fix our Nation’s unsustainable financial trajectory, but cannot get the ball rolling until the president submits a budget to Congress. President Biden needs to do his job so we can begin ours. To read our letter, click here.

Denouncing the Horrors of Socialism
For decades, the embrace of socialist ideologies around the world has led to evil regimes denying their people of their fundamental human rights, and subjecting them to imprisonment and abuse. Socialism has led to painful human tragedy such as starvation, torture, and mass murder – taking more than 100 million lives around the world. I am pleased that the House passed H. Con. Res. 9, which describes some of the horrors perpetuated by socialist regimes, denounces socialism in all its forms, and voices opposition to implementing socialist policies in the United States of America. The House of Representatives should unequivocally repudiate socialism, which is antithetical to American values and the Founding Fathers’ belief in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This resolution makes clear that we must always ensure dangerous, socialist, un-American policies are never brought to pass in our great Nation. To watch my speech on the House Floor in support of the resolution to denounce socialism and advance American freedom, click here.

The SHOW UP Act
Americans have suffered because of the federal government’s detrimental pandemic-era telework policies. I’ve heard from many constituents in the District on how they’ve been negatively impacted by federal agencies allowing their taxpayer-funded employees to stay home. If the American people are expected to show up to work, federal employees should be held to the same standard. That’s why the People’s House passed legislation, H.R. 139, the SHOW UP Act, which would end teleworking for federal employees and require them to return to the office and do their jobs, just like hardworking Americans do every day. President Biden said the “pandemic is over.” America is back to work, and the federal government must be too.

Woodstock Fire Department’s 200th Anniversary
I was pleased to recognize the 200th anniversary of the all-volunteer Woodstock Fire Department. Tracing its history back to 1823, the department has served the Shenandoah Valley as one of the oldest departments in the Commonwealth and the Nation. Today, the department has 40 active volunteers and is led by Captain Zach Hottel, a third-generation volunteer himself. The Woodstock Fire Department is commemorating its founding of February 8, 1823, with a “Bicentennial Birthday Bash” at the Woodstock Fire Station. I am thankful to the firefighters and department personnel for their service, and I wish them another 200 years of success in serving the Valley.

Constituent Meetings

Welcoming students from Shenandoah Adventist Elementary

I enjoyed hearing the views of students and faculty advocates of CADCA, which focuses on combating drug and alcohol abuse, and fostering a positive community for the youth of the Valley

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

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