Immigration Update
As you may know, I have visited our Southern border three times this year. Each time, I get to meet the hard-working men and women who protect our border and, unfortunately, hear their stories about how ill-equipped they are. A recurring theme in their comments was that they do not have the manpower or technology to secure the border in the 21st century.

However, our country is moving in the right direction. Since I last visited, the House passed H.R. 3401, which is an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that sent additional funds to assist our border patrol. This will enable them to upgrade their technology, increase the speed that illegal immigrants are processed and get more agents out patrolling the actual border. Additionally, President Trump has made three key decisions that have improved our immigration system overall.
  1. The President closed the Flores Settlement loophole. The Flores Settlement stated that minors could be held for no more than 20 days before they were released, regardless of whether they had come before an immigration judge yet. This incentivized people looking to come into the U.S. illegally to bring children, whether it was their child or not, because even though the rule only required children to be released, often the entire family unit was released in order to keep them together. This rule is why so many family units began to appear at the border.

  2. President Trump revised and tightened the "public charge rule". Just as a college or university does, when the U.S. looks at individuals wants to immigrate here, we first decide if that person would be an asset to our community. This is not unique to the United States, by the way. If a person has a history of abusing government benefits or a criminal record, they are deemed as being a "public charge", meaning that they would likely be a drain on our economy instead of adding to it. President Trump has made long overdue changes to this assessment process by tightening the rules and ensuring that our legal immigration system is working the way it's supposed to.

  3. During my trips to our Southern border, I realized how many Central Americans were illegally crossing Mexico's Southern border to the United States' Southern border. Mexico was not only not upholding their end of the bargain at the U.S.-Mexico border, but they, too, had a porous Southern border. In June, President Trump reached an agreement with Mexico that resulted in the Mexican National Guard being deployed to Mexico's Southern border in order to curtail illegal immigrants to entering their country. Not only did this help decrease the number of illegal crossers at our border, but discouraging people to cross into Mexico undoubtedly saves many lives and prevents many crimes, as it keeps Central Americans out of the hands of the criminal Mexican cartels.
Since these changes, we have seen border apprehensions cut by more than half, from 144,000 in May to just 64,000 in August.


I took to the House Floor this week to discuss these accomplishments as well as the work that is left to be done. Please click the picture below to view my comments.



Protecting Deaf-Blind Individuals
It was an honor to moderate Tuesday's floor debate on H.R. 2314, the Helen Keller National Center Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan bill will continue to equip deaf-blind individuals with the tools they need to live, work and thrive in their communities. 

As a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, it is one of my priorities to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the services and amenities they need to support their personal development and independence. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of this bill and will continue to be committed to providing deaf-blind Americans with opportunities to lead their most successful lives. 

Watch my opening comments by clicking on the picture below.



Congressman Sean Duffy

Finishing out a week with several appearances on the House Floor, I was happy to introduce my friend and colleague, Congressman Sean Duffy, before he made his last speech on the House Floor before his retirement. Sean is resigning from Congress to take care of his family. He and his wife, Rachel, are expecting their 9th child.

Congressman Duffy has long been a leader who brings real Wisconsin values and common-sense solutions to Washington. He has been a model representative who looks out for his district, because it truly is his home. In addition to being an expert on the Financial Services Committee, Sean Duffy’s outgoing lumberjack personality will be sorely missed by all of Congress. I wish Sean, Rachel and their children all the best in these trying times and hope to see them back in the Capitol sometime in the future.


Weekly Roundup
It was a pleasure to meet with the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association to continue the dialogue on the passage of the USMCA. It is vital this trade agreement is ratified in order to support Wisconsin's automotive industry.


Thanks to Wisconsin Credit Union League for making the trip to Washington, D.C. One topic we discussed is data security, which is a critically important issue that will only become more significant over time.


Did you know that the unemployment rate among the blind and visually impaired is 70%? Beyond Vision helps these individuals find fulfilling, meaningful jobs. Thanks for visiting my DC office!

Happy 72nd birthday to the United States Air Force! Thank you to all of the brave men and women who defend our country every day. Aim High, Fly-Fight-Win!


Great meeting with the Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity on how we can support Wisconsin manufacturers and keep Wisconsin working.


After speaking with the Dodge County Farm Bureau, it’s clear that we need to pass the USMCA right now. This is not a partisan issue. If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought it up for a vote it would pass with great bipartisan support. 


Contact Me
As your Congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the Sixth District. 

You can also stay up-to-the-minute by following me on Facebook (Congressman Glenn Grothman), Twitter (@RepGrothman) and Instagram (@RepGlennGrothman).

Sincerely,
Member of Congress 

 
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