Congressman Biggs Opposes New Spending Bill, Encourages Executive Action on Border Security

February 14, 2019
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Trump indicated that he would sign the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which passed the House tonight, and use his executive authority to address the crisis at our southern border. Congressman Biggs released the following statement:

"Even Speaker Pelosi doesn't believe that walls are immoral as funding for 55 miles of new wall was provided. Also, Democrats failed to defund ICE per their stated goals. Nonetheless, I opposed tonight's spending bill, and I urge President Trump to veto it should it reach his desk. This legislation will harm our already tenuous efforts to secure the border, including the following provisions:

  • The bill includes a prohibition against removing illegal aliens who are sponsors or potential sponsors, or a member of a household of a sponsor or potential sponsor, of an unaccompanied alien child, potentially protecting hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.
  • The bill fails to provide any funds for additional ICE officers, failing to give ICE the resources they require to remove illegal aliens with final orders of removal.
  • The bill also includes prohibitions on building fencing in 5 federal and state parks in the Rio Grande sector – all but guaranteeing that illegal aliens will use these sections to illegally cross.
  • Additionally, this bill includes a whole host of items that are outside the bounds of constitutional spending, which severely add to our deficit and enhance bloated government programs with little accountability.

"However, I am encouraged that President Trump will immediately declare a national emergency to build the wall. Though executive action should always be taken lightly – and never outside of constitutional bounds – President Trump correctly views the situation at the border as an emergency. The southern border is the gateway for drug, human and sex trafficking, which afflicts countless American communities. I support his decision to take executive action."

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Congressman Andy Biggs is a second-term Representative from Arizona's Fifth Congressional District, representing parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Queen Creek. Congressman Biggs is a member of the House Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology committees. He lives with his wife, Cindy, in Gilbert.