The crisis at our
southern border
is devastating, but rather than working to address this major national security and humanitarian catastrophe, President
Joe Biden
and congressional Democrats have looked the other way. The public needs solutions from the president, not silence. Since Biden won’t rise to his duty, I’m rising to mine.
I unveiled a two-pronged approach this week that would enable us to secure our border, go after the Mexican
cartels
, and safeguard our families from the scourge of the
fentanyl
crisis. My plan comes together through two pieces of legislation: the Securing Our Border Act and the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence, or FEND, Off Fentanyl Act. Together, these bills would protect our borders and homeland.
HOLDING FOREIGN SPONSORS OF THE FENTANYL CRISIS ACCOUNTABLE
The Securing Our Border Act redirects $15 billion the Biden administration designated to hire an army of 87,000 IRS agents and instead funds critical border security initiatives. So instead of the government spending more of your tax dollars to take an even bigger cut of your paycheck, my bill would take that $15 billion and put it toward building the border wall system and enhancing screening for illicit narcotics and persons.
Unlike Biden, I know how important the job is of the men and women patrolling our borders and the lengths to which they must go to keep us safe. That’s why my bill also provides bonuses and other financial incentives for these heroes on the front lines who guard entry into our nation. The public needs more border agents — not thousands more IRS agents looking over their shoulders.
The FEND Off Fentanyl Act is the second piece of my plan and would provide a commonsense, common-ground solution to keep fentanyl off our streets and go after the criminal cartels poisoning our communities. The legislation would curb the flow of money powering these cartels by tapping into the economic security tools at our disposal and empowering law enforcement to do their job. It would enact the toughest sanctions regime on criminal cartels in American history, freeze the cartels’ collective and individual assets, and curb their ability to conduct their dealings in the United States and abroad.
As I talk with people in South Carolina and across our great nation, it’s clear the public is tired of Biden and his administration fervently and passionately fighting to keep the borders of other nations safe while neglecting our own. The humanitarian crisis at our southern border demands immediate action to promote long-term security for our country. And the Band-Aid solutions being provided by this weak leadership will only lead to more problems.
The same tactics being used to curb bad actors around the world — economic sanctions, bolstered security forces, investment in technology such as radars and scanners, and efforts to keep morale high for law enforcement officials — should be used right here in America to keep our people safe.
We deserve as much from our president, but we are not getting it. It’s time for a change and for us to turn our attention to our communities. That starts with securing our borders and dismantling the criminal cartels trafficking children and deadly drugs across our border and in violation of our laws. Americans can no longer wait on Biden to take decisive action to solve the border crisis. He has proven incapable of doing so.
Let’s do what strong leaders do and turn words into actions. Acting now will ensure America’s best days are still ahead of her.
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Tim Scott is a U.S. senator for South Carolina and has been a national leader in efforts to bring opportunity to every family. As he continues to lead on the implementation of his signature Opportunity Zones legislation, Sen. Scott plays a critical role in issues regarding workforce development, education, and diversity.
