Bipartisan Group Renews Call on Biden Administration to Leave Title 42 in Place, Bring Golden’s Bill Up for a Vote
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), joined by Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-02), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), and 18 bipartisan members of Congress, put new pressure on the Biden Administration today to reverse its decision to lift the Title 42 public health order and to help bring Golden’s Public Health and Border Security Act of 2022 to the House and Senate Floor for a vote.
“Until the Administration undertakes further consultation, we believe it is premature to consider changes to Title 42 authorities,” the lawmakers wrote. “There are too many unanswered questions related to DHS having a sufficient plan to maintain a humane and orderly process, adequately protect the health of our families and communities, and ensure those providing services to migrants have the capacity to assist. We urge postponing the cancellation of Title 42 until affected federal agencies and NGOs are ready to execute and coordinate a comprehensive plan that ensures a secure, orderly, and humane process at the border.”
The bipartisan bill that Golden introduced would prevent President Biden from lifting existing Title 42 immigration restrictions without a plan in place from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address the expected surge of migrants at the Southern border. This bipartisan legislation was endorsed by the 58-member Problem Solvers Caucus and companion legislation was introduced by Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) in the Senate last month.
“We urge Congressional leadership to bring the Public Health and Border Security Act of 2022 to the House and Senate floor for a vote,” Golden and his colleagues continued. “This legislation would improve coordination between Congress and the Executive Branch as both work in tandem to manage the transition to a post-Title 42 border environment. It is critical that intergovernmental transparency exists between lawmakers and the Administration on Title 42 planning. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation has been endorsed by the Problem Solvers - a process that requires a minimum of 75% approval by the entire caucus.”
In their letter, the lawmakers note that CBP can safely handle 3,500 daily border crossings, stretching to 5,000 encounters per day if the agency is at maximum capacity. However, the agency is currently recording more than 7,000 encounters daily and is bracing for as many as 18,000 daily encounters if Title 42 is rescinded.
Golden has remained at the forefront of the fight to keep our border secure and the immigration process safe for all those involved. Last month, he introduced thebipartisan DHS Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2022, a bill to help address Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel shortages in rural areas ahead of the surge. In March, Golden voted tosubstantially increase funding for local law enforcement and border patrol officers as part of the omnibus government funding bill. The bill was passed by the House and signed into law by the president at the end of the month. In 2021, Golden voted to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which included significant funding for border stations across the country, including five land ports of entry in Maine’s Second District.
The letter can be found here.
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