Homeland Security and Immigration

Homeland security is vitally important.  To ensure our security, it is essential that we have strong borders and enforce our immigration laws.  Texans have a strong sense of fairness.  Unfortunately, our broken immigration system cannot be called fair.  It is not fair to those who patiently wait in line to enter legally.  It is not fair to American workers who must compete with illegal immigrants working for artificially low wages.  Our broken system and porous borders also leave us less safe.  Despite the tireless efforts of our Border Patrol and immigration enforcement officers, drugs and people continue to cross our southern border.  We can and must make this system better.

When I was in the Texas House of Representatives, I served as the Vice-Chair of the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and saw how drug and human traffickers endangered both Americans and immigrants.  Until the border is secured, immigration reform will not be effective.  Otherwise, lax controls merely incentivize additional illegal immigration, which, in turn, negatively effects employment and wage growth.

Defense

First and foremost, the responsibility of our federal government is to preserve our national sovereignty.  I will continue working to ensure that Congress fulfills its constitutional mandate to “provide for the common defense” through the necessary funding of our military.  In my view, this includes providing for the needs of our veterans, as well.  Our military is owed considerable resources to restore its readiness to confront any adversary.  Additionally, America’s men and women in uniform make incredible sacrifices to protect our freedom, and we must see to it that they are paid fairly and are provided with the tools needed to excel at their critically important work.