McCaul Column
For far too long, our immigration system has been in shambles. Our borders are weak and are current laws are not being enforced. This has allowed drug smugglers, human traffickers, transnational gangs like MS-13, and terrorists to gain entry to our great state. As Texans, we have seen the results of these failed polices firsthand.
As the year winds down and we gather with family and friends for the holidays, it is important we take time to be thankful for what we have in this great country, and remind ourselves there are those who are not as fortunate to live in a nation built on the freedoms we hold so dear.
We live in an increasingly dangerous world that requires bold American leadership. Our nation's most effective tool for diplomacy has always been our resolute military serving as a deterrence. However, in recent years, we have witnessed our military readiness and capabilities decline beyond a state of alarm. The American people have given Republicans the opportunity to lead in Congress, with a promise that we would improve and restore the military prowess of the United States.
Let me be frank, one of the greatest threats to our homeland is a nuclear-armed Iran.
The "Iran Deal" negotiated by President Obama was extremely flawed. Not only did it leave much of the nuclear infrastructure in place for Iran to rush towards a bomb once the deal expired, it also did nothing to address the regime's ballistic missile program nor its support for terrorism. Despite verification provisions agreed to within the deal, the regime has continuously prohibited inspectors from accessing military sites where suspected nuclear-related covert activities may be taking place.
Just a few weeks ago, we witnessed Hurricane Harvey relentlessly batter the Gulf Coast and wreak havoc on communities that millions of Texans call home. After days of punishing rain and rising rivers from Corpus Christi to Rockport, Katy to Beaumont, and from Galveston to Houston, we all wondered when Harvey would finally go away.
Texans know it is long past time to secure our borders. Failed policies of the past have allowed millions of illegal immigrants, traffickers, and violent criminals to gain access to our great state and ultimately the United States. This has left Americans – and Texans in particular – vulnerable to the types of tragedies that we have become increasingly familiar with, such as the murder of Kate Steinle, a young woman gunned down by an undocumented immigrant who illegally entered the U.S. on five separate occasions.
As a father of five, I know that every parent's worst nightmare is their children receiving a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. Tragically, this nightmare turns into a reality for over 15,000 families each year. Growing up, my childhood best friend was part of this statistic; he sadly lost his life to the fight. It wasn't fair then and isn't fair now when a child's life is cut short. With today's advancements in science, this statistic should not be as high as it is and cancer should not be the number one cause of death for our children.
Veterans are the backbone of our country; Texas alone is home to 1.6 million of our nation's finest men and women. Without those who have served, we would not be the great nation we are today - a nation that is a champion of democracy and freedom worldwide. While it is impossible for us to properly express our profound respect and appreciation for all of our brave men and women who have worn our nation's uniform, we can continue to work to improve their quality of life once they take off the uniform.
As Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I often lead a group of bipartisan members of Congress on Congressional Delegations (CODEL) overseas to study policies for increasing our homeland security. This year, as we traveled to France, Poland, Estonia, and Ukraine, the overarching topic of discussion was cybersecurity and how to protect America from Putin and his cyber-attacks on the United States.
As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, part of my work in Congress consists of developing a strong U.S. foreign policy targeted towards nurturing relationships with our key allies, countering adversaries seeking to undermine our national security, and working diligently to mitigate the threats we face abroad to prevent them from reaching our shores. While we must remain clear-eyed about the threat posed by terrorism, we must also be willing to confront the dangers to our national security from nation states, such as North Korea and Syria.