Border Security
As a matter of national security, we must secure our borders. Even here in East Tennessee we see the ill effects of an unsecured border, as the opioid epidemic has devastated many households aided by the flow of illicit drugs across our borders. As a member of the House Border Security Caucus, I will advocate for strong border security measures, including resuming construction of Trump’s wall on our southern border.
I have traveled to our southwest border with a delegation of my congressional colleagues to witness the ongoing crisis firsthand. As your representative, I am not afraid to tackle a crisis head on and you can count on me to remain absolutely committed to the highest standard of national security.
Upon returning from our southwest border, I joined many of my fellow conservative colleagues in signing a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The letter restated our concerns about this unlawful, manmade humanitarian and national crisis. It highlighted the current lack of adequate accounting on the nature and to what extent illegal immigrants are dispersed. The letter demands these agencies provide Congress information on the name and location of each city or town where illegal immigrants have been sent or were provided funding for travel to or were allowed travel by their own or private funding along with the total number of immigrants who were allowed to travel there. I also co-sponsored H.R. 7462, The Early Mitigation Alert Program (EMAP) Act that would direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CMP) to let local government and law enforcement officials know before migrants are released into their community.
Last year, I introduced H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act and it passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support. This is great news for clear transparency! I am committed to ending ‘dark of night’ airport stake outs to determine how the Biden Administration is spending our hard-earned tax dollars as my bill would establish a timely and public reporting requirement for key DHS contract awards. The American people deserve to know details about DHS contract awards including descriptions, vetting, bidding, contract amount, recipients, and their purpose, especially for contracts awarded to deal with the self-inflicted Biden Border Crisis. The Biden Administration must stop acting in secrecy!
I have also co-sponsored the following legislation:
H.Res. 493, Biden’s damaging and ongoing border crisis must be addressed with censure, PERIOD.
H.R. 4828, the Border Security Act for America includes comprehensive measures to bring back President Trump’s effective border security policies. Additional measures include bolstering border staffing to better support our law enforcement and modernizing and enhancing the use of technology to aid them.
H.R. 2321, the Irregular Migration Surge Border Response Resilience Act directs DHS to establish a plan and response to irregular migration surges at the border.
H.R. 1091, the Stopping Border Surges Act closes loopholes in immigration laws that serve as incentives to aliens who attempt to enter unlawfully.
H.R. 398, the No Asylum for Criminals Act prohibits anyone with a criminal record from being eligible for asylum. This would not only make America safer by keeping dangerous criminals out but would alleviate some of the backlog that is overburdening our legal immigration system.
H.R. 3484, the Illegal Immigrant Assistance Prohibition Act blocks federal grant funds from going to states that assist illegal immigrants as the only assistance we should be providing is a safe return home! As reported on Fox News here.
H.J.Res. 50, which reserves a state's right to repel an invasion and defend their citizenry from the overwhelming and "imminent danger" posed by paramilitary, narco-terrorist cartels who have seized control of our southern border. President Biden has made every state a border state through his failed immigration policy, and it is crucial that we have protections under the law to defend the security of our communities.
H.R. 6587, the Strengthening Enforcement and Criminalizing Unlawful Records Enabling Flights Act requires a non-citizen who does not have identification to submit biometric information and go through enhanced security screening.
H.R. 6473, Common Sense Standards for Visa Applications Act would allow the USCIS to reject applicants for temporary or permanent visas if they are likely to become a “public charge” on the American taxpayer. Applicants may be denied based on their failure to meet high enough income standards or if they would receive public assistance like welfare, food stamps, public housing, or Medicaid. This bill will help guarantee that the U.S is granting legal entry to individuals who are able to be self-reliant, not government dependent to include industrious immigrants that are likely to add value to our communities.
H.R. 6473, the Known and Suspected Terrorist Data Transparency Act would require DHS to publish the total number of known or suspected terrorists, and individuals whose identities are included in the Terrorist Screening Database, encountered by the Department attempting to enter the United States.
H.R. 6122, the Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act would block migrants from receiving settlement payments for lawsuits pertaining to border detainment, most notably migrant children who were separated from their families at the Mexican border during President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy – between 2017 and 2018. The bill focuses on protecting hard-working American's tax dollars.
We must complete the construction of President Trump’s border wall!
I remain committed to continuing President Trump’s effort to fully fund and complete construction on our southwest border wall.
To support this effort, I have co-sponsored and added my name to many efforts including:
H.R. 58, the Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act directs the U.S. Treasury to establish a fund used only for designing, constructing, and maintaining the barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico. It would also require the construction of physical barriers and roads along the entire U.S. border with Mexico, rather than the 700 miles required by current law.
H.R. 2729, the Finish the Wall Act further stakes my position that we must immediately resume construction of the border wall system, enforce the rule of law, and expend already appropriated funds as mandated by Congress. I also joined many of my colleagues in expressing our concerns to Biden over the wasteful spending that resulted from his proclamation to halt construction. A recent study revealed that in the period immediately following this proclamation, contractors were being paid $6 million per day to simply do nothing. Unacceptable!
I also joined many of my congressional colleagues in adding my name to a letter addressed to the U.S. Government & Accountability Office (GAO) requesting GAO’s investigation and legal opinion on the actions of the Biden Administration to suspend southern border wall construction and to order a freeze of funds provided by Congress for that purpose, which my colleagues and I believe violated the Impoundment Control Act.
More on Border Security
By Ryan Morgan
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) is advancing new efforts to prevent U.S. taxpayer spending on COVID-19 tests and other medical equipment from reaching China.
“We don’t want the Biden administration sending any more money to China, for COVID tests or anything else, for that matter,” Ms. Harshbarger told NTD’s “Capitol Report” on Thursday.
By Anslee Daniel
WASHINGTON (WJHL) — Rep. Diana Harshbarger recently returned to Washington following a trip to the US-Mexico border in McAllen, Texas.
She accompanied fellow Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz who represents that area.
Harshbarger said supporting Border Patrol agents and focusing on their needs was a big theme of the trip.
Here is additional information about my legislative work to address Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and behavioral health.
Greeneville Sun
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last week, U.S Rep. Diana Harshbarger's first bill that was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023, H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act, took effect, her office said in a news release.
Harshbarger, a Republican, represents Tennessee's 1st Congressional District, which includes Greene County.
By Terry Craig
BLUFF CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) visited the Bluff City Town Hall on Friday to send off a group of veterans on their way to Washington D.C. as part of the Honor Flight.
After the event, Rep. Harshbarger spoke with News Channel 11 regarding various topics on Capitol Hill.
By John Haughey at The Epoch Times
Mexican cartels are pushing illegal immigrants across the border in orchestrated surges to distract law enforcement from drug-smuggling operations targeting other sections of the border, contributing to the corresponding wave of deaths related to fentanyl poisoning, a 25-year U.S. Border Patrol agent and a Texas sheriff told congressional lawmakers.
By John Haughey at NTD
A 25-year United States Border Patrol agent and a Texas Sheriff told Congressional lawmakers that Mexican cartels are pushing illegal immigrants across the border in orchestrated surges to distract law enforcement from drug-smuggling operations targeting other sections of the border, contributing to the corresponding wav
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) released the following statement regarding her bill, the DHS Contract Reporting Act being signed into law:
By U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger
Parents across the nation are increasingly worried about the health and safety of our future generations, as am I! The crime, drugs, and perversion that crosses through our southern border steals the lives of too many Americans every day, and the deadly repercussions are only worsening.
By Sandy Fitzgerald at Newmax
If Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had a plan for dealing with the immigration crisis, he should have put it into play long before the situation got out of hand, Rep.