ICYMI: Rep. Allen travels to Texas to examine border, health, and energy crises
Washington,
February 20, 2023
In case you missed it, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) traveled to Texas last week alongside his colleagues on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to explore solutions to the ongoing crises now facing the United States, including the unprecedented rise in illegal immigration, the proliferation of deadly narcotics, and the persistently high cost of energy nationwide.
On Wednesday, Congressman Allen was in McAllen, TX, where he participated in a joint hearing of the Subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations to examine the public health crisis unfolding due to the flow of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances into the United States via the southern border. After the hearing, Congressman Allen and his colleagues joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel on a tour of the southern border, surveying portions of the Rio Grande Valley sector. The Congressman’s committee remarks are excerpted below:
Rep. Allen: “Mr. Judd, what will it take for you to secure that border? If we give you full authority, if I were President of the United States and I said, ‘secure that border,’ what would you do?” Judd: “I’ve lived through it already; I know what’s necessary. We need policy.” Rep. Allen: “You know exactly what needs to be done.” Judd: “We need policy. Absolutely.” Rep. Allen: “Is anybody in the White House listening to you?” Judd: “No, absolutely not.” ***
“The Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America is supposed to protect the American people. National security should be number one. This administration, including Secretary Mayorkas and Attorney General Garland are ignoring the current immigration laws of this land and handcuffing the very people from enforcing it.”
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On Thursday, Congressman Allen traveled to Midland, TX, where he participated in a hearing of the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate Change, and Grid Security to examine how American energy can benefit local economies while strengthening American communities. The hearing also focused on the destructive policies of the Biden administration in shutting down domestic energy production. The Congressman’s committee remarks are excerpted below: “In 2016, we had the majority in the House, we had the majority in the Senate, and we had the White House. We became not only energy independent—we became energy dominant.” *** “One of the things that I realized in business is our whole economy is based on confidence. We’re a seventy percent consumer economy, and consumers aren’t happy. This war on fossil fuel has created the inflation issue in our country.” *** Rep. Allen: “Mr. Pruitt, you started your own business. And like I said, we have an election every two years. If we get a pro-business administration in this next term, how long would it take you and all of your members to get back to where we were just three years ago?” Pruitt: “It’s probably about two years. So, when I make the decision and my board approves a budget, it takes about a year to contract the rig, get all the permits, and that’s in Texas. That’s the fastest cycle time anywhere. But it’s a two-year time frame to really get the machine turning. Then there’s a lag on getting all that production to market. But it can be done, but we need the White House.” *** Before departing from Texas, Congressman Allen made the following statement: “The things we’ve seen on this trip have been eye-opening. These communities along the border and in West Texas are ground-zero for so many of the crises that this administration has created – which makes it even more outrageous that President Biden waited until two years into his term to visit the border himself. “My colleagues and I are committed to delivering solutions for the American people, and that means addressing these issues head-on. We are working to advance policies that would reverse the damage this president has done, by unleashing our domestic energy production, securing the border, and permanently rescheduling fentanyl related substances to keep them out of our communities.”
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