Washington, DC—May 11, 2023…Congressman Steve Womack voted in support of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which just passed the U.S. House of Representatives on the day Title 42 expires. This legislation aims to combat illegal immigration and secure the border, as illegal crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border surpass five million since President Biden took office.

Congressman Womack said, “President Biden has singlehandedly manufactured an unprecedented humanitarian, public health, and national security crisis at the southern border. With a swipe of a pen, he forced failed policies that jeopardized our security, empowered drug cartels to pump deadly fentanyl through our nation, and made it harder for Border Patrol agents to execute their mission. The Biden administration’s decision to end Title 42 will only exacerbate the chaos we see today. House Republicans have taken action to restore operational control at the border and preserve the American dream.”

Specifically, H.R. 2 would force the Biden Administration to restart construction of the border wall, deploy technology to the southern and northern border, increase the number of Border Patrol agents and provide bonus pay, require transparency regarding illegal crossings from the Department of Homeland Security, strengthen current law to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking, end catch and release, end abuse of executive immigration authority, and strengthen and streamline the asylum process.

Womack has been a steadfast advocate of border security and committed to legislatively enacting strong reforms to fully revamp our immigration policies. He has seen the devastation at the southern border firsthand, voted to authorize border wall construction, called for reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, expressed the need for elimination of catch and release measures, and previously supported comprehensive proposals that would have delivered a working, lawful, and effective immigration system.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

womack.house.gov

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