Rep. Chip Roy and Lt. Chris Olivarez on Border Security and Law Enforcement

Border Security and Law Enforcement Successes

• 🎯 Lt. Chris Olivarez highlights a significant decline in illegal border crossings since January 21st, with daily averages of 200-300, a stark contrast to the thousands seen previously.
• 🔑 This improvement is attributed to strong leadership and support, particularly from figures like Congressman Roy and Governor Abbott's Operation Lone Star.
• 🚀 The Texas DPS, under Governor Abbott, has been instrumental in securing the border when the federal government was perceived as absent.

Impact of Enforcing the Law

• 💡 Rep. Chip Roy emphasizes that enforcing the law has led to a dramatic reduction in border crossings, stating, "This is what happens when you enforce the law."
• ⚠️ Roy points out that previous administrations saw thousands of illegal crossings daily, including fentanyl and cartel activity, which has now been significantly curtailed.
• 🗣️ He calls for Congress to provide resources for removals and repatriations to further support the President's efforts.

Legislative and Budgetary Challenges

• 💰 Congressman Roy discusses the need for border funding and expresses a preference for a two-bill approach, separating border security from other spending.
• ⚖️ He stresses the importance of spending restraints and tax extensions as part of any budget deal, indicating he will not support bills without them.
• 🤝 The challenge lies in reconciling the House's passed bill with the Senate's proposals, highlighting the need for Congress to deliver on its promises.

International Cooperation and Cartel Action

• 🌍 Lt. Olivarez notes the importance of the US designating cartel members as foreign terrorists, sending a message to Mexico and cartels.
• 🤝 He urges Mexico to actively crack down on cartels using its military, as continued inaction will lead to more drugs and cartel violence.
• 🇺🇸 Congressman Roy supports the designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a bill he introduced in 2019.

Government Spending and Fiscal Responsibility

• 📊 Rep. Roy expresses support for a clean Continuing Resolution (CR), provided it freezes spending at current levels, with exceptions for defense.
• ⚙️ He believes this CR would buy time for the executive branch (OMB, Russ Vote, Elon) to identify and restrain wasteful spending, citing an example of $32,000 spent on a transgender comic book in Peru.
• ✅ The goal is to use this time to organize identified cuts and present them to Congress for the FY26 Appropriations, ensuring fiscal responsibility.