Since President Biden has been in office, there have been nearly 3.6 million migrant encounters at the Southwest border and over 900,000 known gotaways who evaded U.S. Border Patrol agents.
This means that 4.5 million illegal migrants have exploited the lack of law and order along our border. Coyotes and cartels have been put in control of our border, and members of these criminal gangs are operating freely inside the United States without consequences.
I wrote a column in Breitbart detailing the crisis along the border and some of the solutions Republicans are proposing like fully funding effective border enforcement strategies, infrastructure, and advanced technology to prevent illegal crossings and stop trafficking by cartels.
The Democrats’ push to defund the police has driven morale for the border patrol agents, law enforcement officers, and first responders down to an all-time low.
Rhetoric and policies that vilify and threaten to defund police have led to a disgraceful lack of respect for law enforcement. Last year, intentional killings of law enforcement hit a twenty-year high. It is no wonder that recruitment levels for our local police forces are at record lows. At a time when crime levels are reaching record highs, we need more well-trained officers keeping the peace—not less.
House Republicans have a Commitment to America to return to a Nation that is safe. We will work to reduce crime and protect public safety by supporting 200,000 more police officers through recruiting and retention bonuses, opposing all efforts to defund the police and cracking down on prosecutors and district attorneys who refuse to prosecute crime while permanently criminalizing all forms of illicit fentanyl.
This week, President Biden announced additional drawdowns from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is already at record lows, and delivered remarks vilifying oil and gas companies and blaming them for high gasoline prices. The President's remarks were shameful and demonstrated how he and his team fundamentally misunderstand energy markets. You cannot ‘direct’ oil and gas producers to increase production while simultaneously telling American energy companies that they will not be needed in 10 years.
A sane energy policy allows for long-term investments to ensure America will always be energy dominant and not reliant on foreign actors. Mr. President, the cavalry isn't coming. It is past time to admit that U.S fossil fuels produced by American blue-collar workers are good for humanity, our economy, and our national security.
I will continue standing up for our oil and gas industry and working to keep American energy dominant. Read more about my work here.
American Energy Alliance Scorecard
I am excited to report the American Energy Alliance rated me with a 100% score on the American Energy Scorecard for being a champion for American energy. Fighting on behalf of the producers and workers in the Permian Basin is an honor.
Energy Tech & Infrastructure Forum
The current global energy crisis should serve as a warning sign to this Administration of what happens when governments turn their backs on reliable energy sources. Unfortunately, Instead of ending his full-blown assault on American-made energy, President Biden recently begged OPEC+ to produce more oil, and then begged them to delay their subsequent production cuts until after the midterm election.
Instead of turning to American oil and gas producers, President Biden has crippled domestic energy production, hampered investment in future innovation, and relinquished global energy dominance to foreign competitors. Make no mistake: Biden’s energy retreat has allowed OPEC+ to have outsized control of the global market.
It is past time to recognize market realities. The truth is that demand for oil is projected to reach an all-time high in 2022 and another all-time high in 2023. Even more, the Energy Information Administration has long proclaimed that both oil and gas will play a dominant role in the global economy through 2050 and beyond. If we are going to return to energy independence and dominance, we must prioritize investment in an affordable and abundant energy supply.
I spoke at the Energy Tech & Infrastructure Forum this week about how we can achieve American energy independence by unleashing the Permian Basin—the largest secure supply of oil & gas in the world.
Celebrating Fall in the Community
The St. Ambrose Catholic Church in San Angelo has hosted a fantastic fall festival annually for the last 83 years. I was honored to attend and celebrate the wonderful tradition with great food and even better people who love the Lord and their community! Thank you to the wonderful folks to put on this event and let me join. I hope to see you next year.
Opportunities for Students to Get Involved
Calling all High School and Middle School students! Check out these two exciting student initiatives from my office.
The deadline for the Congressional App Challenge and to join my Congressional Student Advisory Council is November 1st.
Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.
