The federal government has a constitutional responsibility to defend our borders. As a Member of Congress, an important part of my job is ensuring the federal government lives up to this responsibility and helps put a stop to the chaos at the border which has led to the dangerous trafficking of human beings and deadly drugs. I saw this crisis first-hand when I traveled to our nation’s border to view the humanitarian and security crisis that’s affecting our communities. And while I believe our country should uphold its tradition of openness for those willing to follow the rules and work hard in America to make a better life for themselves and their families, it’s not a radical idea for the U.S. to control who enters and leaves its borders just like other sovereign nations do. I’m going to continue working in Congress to secure our borders and repair our broken immigration system.

Here are a few of my actions in Congress to help secure our borders, fix our immigration system, and stop the flow of illicit and deadly drugs into our communities:

Border security funding:

· As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I recently secured an 11% increase for the Department of Homeland Security. This includes an $800 million increase in Customs and Border Protection and a $400 million increase for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Border security legislation:

· I’m spearheading several pieces of legislation, like the Border Security for America Act, which requires border wall construction to resume immediately, deploys practical and effective border security technology, and hires and trains additional border patrol agents.

· I also championed a bill, passed by the U.S. House, to shut down illegal underground tunnels used by Mexican cartels to smuggle drugs and conduct human trafficking underneath our southern border.