In the News

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright on Tuesday joined fellow members of the Democrats for Border Security Task Force in releasing a statement in response to President Joe Biden’s executive order enacting restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, also commented on the president’s action.

The Associated Press reported that President Biden on Tuesday unveiled plans to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as the White House tries to neutralize immigration as a political liability ahead of the November elections.

Cartwright/Democrats statement

“We commend President Biden for taking this Executive Action to bring ‘order to the border.’ This is an important step. Democrats for Border Security recognize that the President has taken this bold action because Congress has failed to act. Now, Republican leadership must finally allow the House to vote on the bipartisan Senate legislation proposed earlier this year.”

The statement said the bipartisan Senate compromise legislation would both strengthen security at our borders and legislatively repair the outdated asylum system. The legislation was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Wall Street Journal, and the president of the Border Patrol Union. It was thwarted when former President Trump demanded that Republican Members of the House and Senate refused to give President Biden “a win.”

May letter to Biden

In May, Cartwright and the Democratic Border Security Task Force called on President Biden to take executive action.

In the letter sent May 7, the members urged the president to use all the tools at his disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the southern border, prohibit the flow of illicit fentanyl from entering the country, and allow for orderly legal immigration efforts.

“It is well past time for both parties to come together and agree on common sense, bipartisan immigration reforms,” wrote the members. “It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your Administration to act.”

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, Cartwright voted to increase funding for Customs and Border Protection in this year’s Homeland Security budget by more than $1 billion.

“This additional funding provides new resources to stop the flow of fentanyl across ports of entry, prioritizes the hiring of thousands of Border Patrol agents, increases overtime funding for agents, and funds improvements for border security technology,” said Cartwright, D-Moosic, who voted with Republicans to fund $1.6 billion for border wall construction during the last administration.

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