Biden Administration

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. First, Madam President, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the Senator from Iowa, who did a magnificent job of pointing out what we are facing as a nation. And I admire her fortitude, her hard work, and her dedication as the vice chairman of the Republican conference

Madam President, 99 days ago, Joe Biden took office. He took the oath of office. We were there. He gave an inaugural address. He said that ``with unity, we can do great things.'' He said that ``unity is the path forward.'' Well, that was the last example of unity and bipartisanship that we have seen from President Biden. He has lost all credibility when it comes to bipartisanship or unity.

In just 99 days, President Biden has already shown himself to be one of the most radical Presidents in American history.

When I am in Wyoming, as I am every weekend and have been over Easter, as well, traveling the State and talking to people, they ask about two specific issues; one is energy, and the second is the southern border. On these two specific issues, President Biden has already done tremendous damage--damage to our country, damage to our people, damage to our economy.

Right after his inaugural address about unity, President Biden drove to the White House, sat there, went in, and threw the unity speech out the window, and he drew a big target on the back of American energy, and he pulled the trigger. He shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline; he ended new fossil fuel projects on Federal lands; and he cut off traditional energy loans to developing nations that need our help and look to us for help.

Well, these steps aren't going to reduce carbon emission, but they will most certainly reduce jobs and wages for American energy workers.

Also, on his first day, President Biden flipped on the big green light switch on our southern border. He sent out the word, laid out the welcome mat, and people from around the world came illegally to the United States. He stopped construction on the border wall, and he ended a policy that was successful. The policy was that known as the ``Remain in Mexico'' policy.

Now, the result wasn't just one crisis; it was two. It was a humanitarian crisis, and it was also a national security crisis.

It is a national security crisis because two-thirds of the Border Patrol agents--and I went to the border and went with a number of Republican Senators and went on a midnight patrol with our border agents, and they told us that two-thirds of the Border Patrol agents are unable to do their jobs and keep us safe, unable to be there to enforce the law. And they said that, so far, people have come into the country illegally from 56 different nations.

The whole world knows the border is open. Our friends know it; our enemies know it; and this will make us less safe as a nation.

There is also a humanitarian crisis at the border caused by President Biden. Just a month ago, a 9-year-old from Mexico died trying to cross the Rio Grande River. It is heartbreaking. That is what happens, though. This is what happens when more and more people try to come illegally to cross our border.

Children who cross the border unaccompanied are sent to a facility that is prepared and appropriate for about 250 children. The day we were there, there were 7,000 crammed in like sardines. That is Joe Biden's plan for immigration.

Ten percent of these children are testing positive for coronavirus. And we saw the testing process. We know that every child there was exposed to coronavirus based on the high percentage of those who were testing positive.

Now, as these young people are released, those who have tested negative but who have just been exposed in the days before, they are being sent all across America, and they are spreading the virus and unknown variants of the virus to this country.

Joe Biden is the superspreader of coronavirus today. Democrats think this is just fine.

The Vice President of the United States is going to be up here tonight on Capitol Hill. She says: ``We're making progress.''

Nancy Pelosi says: ``We're on a good path on the border.''

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas says: ``The border is secure and closed,'' even though he has also said this is the worst case in 20 years for young people and we are on a path for up to 2 million illegal immigrants coming across the border this year.

The White House refuses to use the word ``crisis.'' In fact, when the President and his Press Secretary have accidentally called it a crisis--and they both have done that--the White House issued a correction. They said: No, no, not a crisis; only a challenge.

Who do they think they are fooling? Two million illegal immigrants this year is not a challenge. It is a crisis. It is chaos at the border. It is catastrophic.

Ninety-nine days ago, none of this was happening. For 99 days, Republicans in the U.S. Senate have repeatedly looked for common ground with President Biden and the Democrats. We have stood for American energy. We worked to secure the border. Yet for 99 days those efforts have been blocked by President Biden and a Democratic majority--which is hardly a big majority when it is 50-50, which you would think would be a mandate to move to the middle.

Well, President Biden still has a thousand days or so left in his term. Tonight's speech might sound a lot like his inaugural address with lots of promises. The American people know talk is cheap. It is time for President Biden to start to practice what he is preaching.

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