“As expected, President Biden continued to gaslight the American people tonight about the current state of our union. Our homeland security is threatened on a daily basis by President Biden’s failed border policies, refusal to stand up to adversarial nations like China, and inability to project strength on the world stage in the midst of foreign malign cyber activity.

“While two-thirds of the country believes we are headed in the wrong direction and a majority of Americans disapprove of the job President Biden is doing, he again came up short by failing to instill any confidence in him or his administration’s ability to secure this nation. On the heels of the Chinese Communist Party’s brazen launch of a surveillance balloon into sovereign U.S. airspace, Americans deserve clear, transparent answers on what actions the President will take to address the growing threats facing the homeland. Mark my words—our adversaries around the world watched tonight’s pathetic showing from our Commander in Chief and are strategizing their next acts of aggression toward the U.S.

“With this in mind, I am angered, but not surprised, by President Biden’s failure to realistically address one of the most serious security challenges facing our nation: the self-inflicted crisis on our Southwest border. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 4.5 million migrant encounters at our Southwest border, in addition to over 1.2 million known gotaways who evaded Border Patrol and 152 known or suspected terrorists arrested attempting to enter the country between ports of entry. Unprecedented numbers of criminals, gang members, weapons, drugs, and trafficked persons are coming across our border. Synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, are flowing across the border, plaguing communities like the one I represent in Tennessee, poisoning far too many Americans, and becoming the leading cause of death among 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.

“President Biden didn’t so much as utter the word cybersecurity once in his remarks tonight. Cyber threats from criminal actors and nation-state adversaries are a pre-eminent national security threat of our time. Given the magnitude of the cyber threat landscape, I strongly believe cybersecurity must be a priority. But this clear void in his speech is nothing new. The White House has continuously had a weak response to cybersecurity threats. In the past two years alone, Russian hackers have attacked America’s fuel and food supply and the software that underpins everything from how Americans get their paychecks, to where they get their healthcare. Russia will not stop attempting to undermine the U.S. cyber border until they know the consequences will be dire. This President has only shown weakness in responding to blatant attacks on American critical infrastructure and must impose real costs on cyber adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

“In the weeks and months ahead, the House Homeland Security Committee will continue to put forward substantive policy solutions and conduct rigorous oversight that address the most pressing issues facing our homeland. The stakes are far too high for anything less.”

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