Washington, D.C. — Yesterday Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, traveled to southwest Texas to see firsthand the security and humanitarian crisis on our southern border.

On his trip, Dr. Burgess visited a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee and Resettlement (ORR) facility in Brownsville, as well as the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing facility in McAllen. He also met with officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and members of the CBP Union. A meeting with leaders of Catholic Charities had to be postponed due to scheduling conflicts.

“This is not a ‘manufactured crisis.’ Rather, it is a real crisis of historic proportions that risks overwhelming all resources and personnel at our southern border,” said Dr. Burgess. “From what I saw, there is no doubt that the situation in the lower Rio Grande Valley sector is an emergency.

“At this moment, CBP officials are strained by the surge of people crossing the border without legal status. The Brownsville ORR facility is at capacity with unaccompanied migrant children. It is imperative for Congress to deliver the resources needed to fully equip CBP, ICE, and HHS officials on the ground to handle the volume of migrants arriving daily.

“After months of denial, I am relieved that Democrats in Congress are beginning to recognize the existence of the crisis; however, House Democrats’ leadership continues to fall short of the action required. We know that inconsistent rhetoric in Washington only adds to the problem. Years of promising open borders and amnesty have created today’s circumstances.

“Congress must deliver effective border security and reform the asylum process. By fixing asylum laws and using American foreign aid as a catalyst for change, we can take commonsense steps that will make a real difference,” added Dr. Burgess.

As a physician and member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Dr. Burgess is committed to conducting Congressional oversight of federal agencies’ work at the border. Over the past five years, Dr. Burgess has made nearly ten trips to the border, and he has visited numerous CBP and HHS ORR facilities.

Last summer, Dr. Burgess visited the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to learn about the humanitarian and economic challenges that contribute to irregular migration. You can read more about his trip to the Northern Triangle here.

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