During remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke about border security under the Trump Administration.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Mr. President, for the last four years when Joe Biden was president, the American people
00:08knew that the southern border had been thrown wide open.
00:15So many of the television stories were done at the southern border.
00:20So what has happened now with the criminal cartels?
00:24The criminal cartels were watching closely and they knew that Joe Biden hadn't just thrown
00:28open the southern border, he had also thrown open the northern border.
00:34The criminal cartels noticed and they took advantage.
00:40There are unique threats to the United States at our northern border.
00:45President Trump is taking the bold, decisive, swift action that is necessary to secure that
00:51border as well.
00:53His actions are working and he's not going to let up.
00:57Canada is making changes.
00:59They've agreed to deploy to the border more technology.
01:02That's helpful.
01:03More law enforcement officers.
01:05That's helpful.
01:07Canada also created their first ever national fentanyl czar.
01:11That's helping.
01:13Democrats have said, I'm sorry, yeah, Democrats have said in the past that they want to see
01:17the northern border secured.
01:20Sure not acting like it today.
01:23Let's take a look at what some of the Democrats have said in the past.
01:26Senator Maggie Hanson of New Hampshire said in March, strengthening security at our northern
01:30border is vital to keeping both New Hampshire and our country safe.
01:35Senator Kristen Gillibrand of New York said in September, border patrol agents at the
01:39northern border are struggling to address a dramatic increase in illegal border crossings.
01:47Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, a member of the Democrat leadership, called for in
01:52January of 2022, an expansion of federal anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling efforts
01:59on the northern border.
02:01Now, today, however, Democrats are going to bring to the floor a resolution to throw out
02:08the common sense action that a number of them have previously called for to secure the northern
02:15border.
02:16They want to get rid of that.
02:18The message is clear.
02:20Democrats remain the party of open borders.
02:23They lost an election being the party of open borders and high prices.
02:27Today, they want to become once again known as the party of open borders.
02:34The largest, longest land border in the world is the border between the United States and
02:40Canada.
02:42That northern border is twice as long as our southern border with Mexico.
02:47And so much of that northern border, as you know, Mr. Chairman, is unguarded.
02:52The northern border stretches across 13 states, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Hampshire.
02:59Then you get out west, vast areas.
03:03The Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testified before Congress last
03:09week.
03:10What did he say?
03:11Well, he spoke about the threats facing our country today, and he issued a stark warning.
03:17He said, known and suspected terrorists are flowing in through our northern border more
03:22now than they are at the southern border.
03:25This is the facts.
03:27The northern border is now a hotspot for terror suspects, for drug cartels.
03:35In the Biden administration, we'd come to the floor and talk about how many terror suspects
03:39were captured coming across the southern border.
03:42The number is astonishing now at the northern border.
03:45The cartels got the message.
03:49President Trump's doing what he promised to do at the southern border, secure the southern
03:52border.
03:53So they're coming up to the northern border.
03:55143 terror suspects already caught this year at our northern border by Border Patrol agents.
04:04Why so many?
04:05Because that's where they're coming from now.
04:08They realize they have no chance at the southern border.
04:12So now the assault is coming at the northern border.
04:15And if that's how many that we've captured, how many have we not?
04:20This is a threat to the safety of our communities, Mr. President.
04:24The Mexican cartels also have a growing presence at the northern border.
04:29You think the Mexican cartels, their presence would be the southern border adjacent to Mexico.
04:35But I'm telling you, the Mexican cartels now have a greater presence at our northern border.
04:40It's going to be a surprise to most people.
04:42CNN recently interviewed a drug smuggler, a smuggler who works for a major Mexican cartel.
04:50That smuggler revealed a chilling fact.
04:52He said the cartel is moving pounds and pounds and pounds of fentanyl across our northern
04:57border each and every month.
05:00Human traffickers are also taking advantage of our open northern border.
05:05In 2024, in just one sector, more than 19,000 people crossed into our country illegally.
05:12More illegal crossings in one sector in one year than in the previous 17 years combined.
05:18We're talking about the border between the United States and Canada.
05:23The explosion of drug smuggling and human trafficking is hurting our American communities.
05:29And the impacts are felt way beyond the border.
05:32Illegal overdose deaths are the leading cause of death in young adults.
05:36Illegal immigration strains our communities, it strains our schools, it strains our hospitals.
05:42President Trump and Republicans are determined, determined, Mr. President, to stop this surge
05:47at our borders, both the northern border and the southern border, because this is a life
05:52and death issue for the American public.
05:56Canada needs to continue to work closely with us to intercept deadly drugs and terror suspects.
06:02The security of both our nations depends upon it.
06:05The best way to protect our communities is to secure our borders.
06:09Now, this is not what Senator Kaine's resolution does.
06:13The resolution that the Democrats are going to bring to the floor today, and probably
06:17every one of them are going to vote for, is going to undermine the work that the United
06:21States and Canada are doing to secure the northern border.
06:25Fortunately, for the safety of the American people, the House of Representatives will
06:30not take up this piece, this legislation, if it even passes the Senate.
06:37Never going to make it to President Trump's desk.
06:41Senate Republicans are moving forward this week on major legislation that includes strong
06:47border provisions, protecting the border.
06:51This legislation will give the Border Patrol agents the tools that they need to secure
06:55the border and deport criminal, illegal immigrants, both northern and southern.
07:01Republicans are out there focused, working every day to make our communities safer.
07:08Democrats are not.
07:09They continue to be the party of open borders.
07:13Republicans are focusing on results, and the results speak for themselves.
07:18Thank you, Mr. President.
07:19I yield the floor.
07:20Such suggests the absence of a quorum.
07:24I call the roll.