Golden calls for House leadership to join the real world, where ‘inaction has real consequences’ for border, Ukraine
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today joined a bipartisan group of representatives to call on House leadership to act on the dual crises at the Southern border and in Ukraine.
Golden and Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the bipartisan Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Actin February. Since then, they have also filed a discharge petition to expedite consideration and force a vote in the House. The bill would, for one year, provide authorities with additional enforcement mechanisms to restore operational control at the border and provide for defense-only appropriations to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Golden’s remarks from today’s press conference are included below:
“Every day that the House delays action on the border and Ukraine is a missed opportunity that comes at the cost of people’s lives.
“Since we introduced this bill on February 15, an estimated 3,000 Americans have died from fentanyl overdose as Mexican cartels continue to exploit the chaos at our overwhelmed Southern border.
“In the same period, we estimate that more than 1,600 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have died in Putin’s war of aggression and territorial expansion.
“The time for our colleagues in the House to take action is right now.
“Securing our border is a priority for Americans across the political spectrum. We all recognize our broken immigration system, including the asylum system, needs fixing because it’s, frankly, overwhelmed. Our bill provides additional enforcement authorities for one year — time for law enforcement and courts to regain operational control and start clearing the backlog of asylum seekers coming across our border.
“Foreign aid, particularly to Ukraine, is a critical national interest. Russia is a very clear adversary to the United States that has sought to undermine our own democracy and even armed enemies so they could ultimately kill American troops in places like Afghanistan. Putin is actively challenging the international status quo that’s been in place since World War II.
“Our bill supports American manufacturers, sends weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, and spells defeat for Vladimir Putin. It’s a win-win for America. Aid for Ukraine today reduces the risk that a future Congress will have to send American troops to fight on European battlefields tomorrow.
“Ours is a divided government. … Everyone in Washington knows that to address these crises, we will need support from both parties. So far, ours is the only proposal in the House that recognizes this very simple reality.
“We are calling on our colleagues to live in the real world with us. Here in the real world, our inaction has real consequences. We’ve pointed fingers and played the blame game enough. It’s time for us to come together.”
Golden was joined at the press conference by Fitzpatrick and other co-sponsors of the legislation, including Republican Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Jennifer Kiggans (VA-02), Michael Lawler (NY-17), and Democratic Reps. Ed Case (HI-01), Jim Costa (CA-21), Don Davis (NC-01) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03).
The co-sponsors have indicated that amendments to broaden support for the bill — including humanitarian aid funding and appropriations for border authorities — are welcome and have urged their colleagues in both parties to participate in the policymaking process.
Video of Golden’s remarks is available online here. The full press conference is available online here.
###
Contact: Mario Moretto | 202-748-0282