An eventual reconciliation bill passed by the new Congress should include southern border provisions from H.R.2 passed by House Republicans in 2023, Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Tuesday.
That legislation, otherwise known as the Secure the Border Act, had little chance to become law due to Democrats controlling the presidency and the Senate. Now, the GOP owns majorities in both chambers.
"We had our H.R.2 bill or Secure the Border bill back in 2023 that we passed. We'd love to see the policies and the provisions make their way into the new Congress — where you're actually going to have a Senate that would be willing to look at them and be able to pass, and you're going to have a president who would be able to sign it," Van Duyne told "Wake Up America" co-hosts Sharla McBride and Marc Lotter.
"But in addition, we have got to figure out the strategy of going after these drug cartels."
Van Duyne, whose district includes parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties, suggested that one option would be to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
"I think also working and making sure that the new president of Mexico understands that they have a role in this, that they're going to have to help us to secure the border, is going to be important," she said.
"I think, as you've seen, President[-elect Donald] Trump hasn't even been sworn into office yet. And you already have this president who's willing to work with him on the border security."
As a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Van Duyne has been among lawmakers working on a tax bill to be included in the reconciliation legislation.
"We have been working for several months on putting together a tax bill that we want to be included in the first reconciliation package," Van Duyne said.
"That has to get passed … otherwise you're going to see 90% of American taxpayers, you know, having some of the largest tax increases in our nation's history. We can't have that happen. But at the same time, you also have got to make sure that we are prioritizing the border."
"You know, when Americans came out in November, and they voted, they were very clear. The border is a concern in all communities as well as the economy. And I think the big, beautiful bill that we're talking about will address both."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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