Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), the Republican Leader's Designee to the Budget Committee, delivered remarks today in support of hismotion to instruct to the Democrats'American Rescue Plan. His motion would provide COVID-19 health screenings at the border to help decrease the spread of the virus.

Recently, the nation reached 500,000 deaths due to this Coronavirus. Today,President Biden and Vice President Harris announced they will commemorate those deaths with a candle-lighting ceremony. Now more than ever it is critical that we ensure those entering our country will notincrease the spread of thisvirus.

As Prepared for Delivery:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My motion would strike funding from sections on global health and Medicaid for inmates and reprioritize this funding for testing and personal protective equipment along our southern border.

In March 2020, President Trump implemented Title 42 of the United States Code that instructed Customs and Border Protection to prioritize the health of American citizens and reject the entry of anyone who bypassed health screening measures in an attempt to enter the country illegally. Those who attempt to enter the country in this manner are immediately returned to Mexico.

In addition, the Trump Administration limited the number of illegal entries by implementing Migrant Protection Protocols that allow those seeking refuge or asylum to remain in Mexico throughout their judicial proceedings. These measures successfully slowed the spread of the Coronavirus into the United States from those without proper documentation.

When the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) crisis began in 2014, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) tasked with their care and placement was severely unprepared. One of my biggest concerns was the transmission into local communities of diseases like tuberculosis and influenza.

Through the work of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and specifically my office, ORR now provides health screenings and vaccinations to all children in their care.

Without this same level of attention to all individuals, I fear an influx of migrants along our southern border will quickly overwhelm Customs and Border Patrol and lead to rapid spread of the Coronavirus. President Biden has already taken action to halt deportations and is considering rescinding Title 42 before this pandemic is under control.

Just last week, President Biden released his U.S. Citizenship Act to overhaul our immigration system and provide a path to citizenship for millions of people in this country without the benefit of citizenship. His plan specifically provides immediate green cards to those currently part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Temporary Protected Status holders, and immigrant farmworkers. For those that follow our laws and apply for a green card, the process typically takes 7-33 months. Under President Biden’s plan, those who do not comply with our laws will be rewarded immediately.

In addition, President Biden’s plan allows all green card holders to apply to become citizens after just three years. Currently, an individual must hold a green card for five years before applying for citizenship. The plan also eliminates the one-year deadline for filing asylum claims, meaning any undocumented person currently present in the United States can now decide to claim asylum, despite potentially already being here illegally for years.

I am pleased that the plan seeks to address the underlying causes of migration from the Northern triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. However, the majority of this bill will only further incentivize without the benefit of citizenship.

By providing expedited paths to green cards and citizenship for those who willingly broke our laws, we are telling others seeking entry into the United States that the rule of law will not be upheld.

This threatens to create a surge of illegal border crossings in the coming months. We are already seeing an uptick in crossings. With the Coronavirus still a threat, we must ensure any and all who reach our borders are not bringing the virus, and other diseases, with them. The Office of Refugee Resettlement has seen nearly 2,000 cases of Coronavirus in the unaccompanied alien children in their care. Luckily, none of these cases have required hospitalization. There have also been over 1,300 cases of Coronavirus on ORR staff.

Any person taken into CBP custody becomes the responsibility of the United States. If any of them require medical care they will be transmitted to local hospitals, placing an additional burden on our already strained health care systems. Americans citizens should not have to wait for care, potentially resulting in increased case severity, because a noncitizen who broke our laws is taking up available resources.

While I strongly disagree with opening our borders to those without proper documentation, if this is to be our new reality, let us at least protect our border patrol and our communities. We must test every single person, legal or illegal, that enters our country or crosses our border.

In addition, these individuals must be provided with at least one set of personal protective equipment, like a mask and gloves. This will not only help limit community spread but will protect the brave men and women on our frontlines.

Closing Statement: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I urge adoption of my motion to protect this country from further exposure to the Coronavirus. The committee print reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee is approximately $60 billion below the instructed level. It included $49 billion for testing, but none for testing along our southern border.

There is no reason we should not be prioritizing the health and safety of our citizens. We have to protect Americans first if we are to emerge stronger on the other side of this pandemic. If the Biden Administration is going to open our borders, then we must ensure all individuals are tested and provided with personal protective equipment. This should be bipartisan and non-negotiable. I yield back.

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