Securing Our Borders

Knowing your interest in our country’s border security, I wanted to update you on legislation that was recently considered in the U.S. House. A bill put forth by House Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security failed to make the necessary investments to adequately secure our border through a wall, technology, and other barriers where appropriate. Simply put, a country that does not have control of its borders does not have control of its national security. That’s why I voted against that legislation.  I will continue to work for real security funding that the President will sign into law.  Meanwhile, the partial government shutdown is adversely affecting the work of numerous other agencies of the federal government unrelated to the security of our border, but important to our way of life in rural Oregon. Work by the Forest Service and BLM to plan and implement wildfire reduction plans in our forests, the ability to provide services at America’s national parks, such as Crater Lake, and the work of many other agencies has mostly ground to a halt.  That is why I voted in favor of separate legislation that would have funded those agencies.    Without a doubt, Congress needs to fix America’s broken immigration system and secure our borders. This summer I voted in support of legislation that would have done that, providing $25 billion in funding for border security, while also making needed reforms to the broader immigration system. Unfortunately, this failed to pass the House. Last month I also supported legislation that would have provided $5 billion for border security, but the Senate failed to take up this legislation. As the debate over immigration and border security continues, know that I will continue to fight for sufficient investment in our border and national security.

Greg Walden
U.S. Representative
Oregon’s Second District



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