Katko on President Biden’s First State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union Address:

“President Biden’s first State of the Union Address comes at a time when our nation faces some of the greatest security challenges in modern history. Whether we are talking about the evolving threat landscape created by Russia’s heinous assault on Ukraine, resurgent international terrorism enabled by the Taliban’s seizure of Afghanistan, rising crime in communities across the U.S., or the unprecedented crisis at our southwest border, Americans deserve clear, concise, and transparent answers on what will be done to address their many justified concerns.

“With this in mind, I leave tonight disappointed by President Biden’s failure to sufficiently and realistically address one of the most serious security challenges facing our nation: the sustained and self-inflicted crisis on our southwest border. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 2.1 million migrant encounters at our southwest border, but this crisis is much more than migrants seeking asylum: criminals, weapons, drugs, and trafficked persons are coming across our border in record numbers. Fentanyl is plaguing communities like the one I represent in Central New York, poisoning far too many Americans and becoming the leading cause of death of young adults. Stopping the flow of fentanyl and dangerous synthetic drugs into our communities means taking real steps to secure our border, like finishing the border wall, supporting law enforcement on the ground, and reinstating common sense policies that combat illegal immigration and human trafficking. I’m disappointed Biden failed to acknowledge the more than 100,000 Americans who died from drug overdoses in the United States last year, representing a grim milestone as the highest number of drug overdose deaths in U.S. history.

“Additionally, I am concerned that President Biden missed a crucial opportunity to thoroughly address cybersecurity, which is the preeminent threat to our country right now. This is an issue that has been the subject of significant bipartisan agreement between the House Homeland Security Committee and this Administration, and the President needed to demonstrate strong leadership by articulating the significance of this issue to Americans from all walks of life, while also providing a clear plan on how the United States will mitigate cyber threats facing the United States from Russia.

“In the weeks and months ahead, Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee will continue to put forward substantive policy solutions that address these issues. I sincerely hope that President Biden and his Administration will correct course and join us in prioritizing our nation’s security. The American People deserve nothing less.”

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