House Democrats and Republicans head to the border 

The speaker of the House and the chamber’s Democratic leader made separate trips down to the border. Both visits were described as educational, so lawmakers could learn about the challenges border communities are facing. 

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was in Laredo, home of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. Jeffries and Cuellar received a briefing on smuggling and met with local sheriffs and mayors. 

Leader Jeffries said investments in technology, and President Biden’s immigrant parole program have successfully reduced illegal immigration. He called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. 

“That is both humane, but also respects the rule of law and the traditions of public safety,” Jeffries said. “That effort will be achieved if people on the other side of the aisle are willing, in our view, to have straightforward, authentic, direct conversations that don’t politicize the issue.” 

Speaker McCarthy, R-Calif., had a similar agenda in Arizona where he met with a rancher. The pair discussed the extraordinary power cartels have over both human and drug trafficking. 

“The American government does not know who is coming into our country, but there is someone who knows both, the Sinaloa cartel. They know exactly who is coming across and who’s entering. They also know what’s in the backpacks, the drugs that kill Americans,” McCarthy said.  

Lawmakers expressed concern about drug trafficking on both trips. Especially about fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Fentanyl overdoses have skyrocketed since 2014. There were more than 100,000 in 2021. 

“Fentanyl is attacking the streets of Oregon. We had our largest drug bust in Oregon’s history in my district this past year. It would have killed 4.5 million people. That is more than the population of Oregon as a whole,” Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., said.

“One of the things that has become clear again is the importance of Congress further investing and providing our Border Patrol officials, our customs officials with the technology necessary to intercept fentanyl and other narcotics,” Jeffries said.

McCarthy said Republicans will hold committee hearings on the border and members of those committees from both parties will be responsible for attending. He said after they listen to border residents, they will write a bill and bring it to the floor for a vote.