Ricketts Joins GOP Colleagues to Shed Light On Their Recent Border Trip
October 31, 2023
WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) joined Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) for a press conference about their recent visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.
“That’s why we’ve introduced a variety of different pieces of legislation to address the issues of the southern border,” said Ricketts. “When I was appointed Senator, I told the people of Nebraska I will work to secure our southern border. I’m working to keep that promise.”
At the Southern Border the senators witnessed the impacts of the rapid increase in illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and national security threats due to President Biden’s open border policies. Ricketts recently introduced the Ensure Uniform Border Inspection Practices Act to require annual comprehensive reviews of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policies to improve enforcement practices. He also re-affirmed his support for 10 additional pieces of legislation that address the illegal immigration crisis at the border and need to enforce existing laws. Learn more HERE.
See Photos From Senator Ricketts Trip HERE and HERE.
Watch the video HERE.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “Well, thank you all for being here today and I want to thank Senator Cornyn and Senator Cruz for arranging our visit to the border. It was actually my 4th time being down there. I also visited as Governor of the state of Nebraska.
“And I also want to thank the Customs and Border Protection men and women, who as Senator Cruz was saying, put their lives on the line for us.
“They work very, very hard, under very trying circumstances, and I want them to know how grateful we are for their service, and for them hosting us last week.
“As it has always been already been described, we have a humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border, and it is created by Joe Biden’s failed and inept policies.
“That’s what we heard down there.
“And when we talked to Customs and Border Patrol people, you know what they told us? The first, best thing you can do?
“Change the policies. Remain in Mexico.
“First, safe country, whatever you want to call it. It’s what everybody else does.
“It was referenced earlier. There has to be consequences if you do that, they said, you’ll see the flood of people stopping to come here.
“Last month, 269,735 encounters by Customs and Border Protection personnel on that southern border. A new record, 2.5 million last year, 8 million since Joe Biden’s been president. Put that in perspective.
“Those 8,000,000 encounters are more than all the encounters in the Trump and Obama administration combined. In just three years.
“Senator Cruz did a great job of talking about the human cost of this.
“The Customs and Border Patrol people told us last year 854 people died by crossing that river or once they got into the interior of our country. Over 2300 since Joe Biden has been president.
“Joe Biden is responsible for those deaths. His failed policy has created this crisis at our border that is leading to those people dying when they come here. He is responsible.
“He has the ability to end this, and he chooses to do nothing.
“And we talked about the national security aspect. Last month, 18 people on the terrorist watch list. 172 people all of last year. Again, put this in perspective. In years past that number was single digits. We are opening ourselves up for a terrorist attack.
“Joe Biden has created this crisis. If he will not act, Congress must act.
“That’s why we’ve introduced a variety of different pieces of legislation to address the issues of the southern border.
“When I was appointed Senator, I told the people of Nebraska I will work to secure our southern border.
“I’m working to keep that promise. But the single biggest thing we could do right now the president has the power to do, which is change the policy.
“Go back to remain in Mexico, and you would and have consequences for coming here illegally, and you would end the waves of people coming here.
“This must end.”