Press Releases

WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and families impacted by the open-border crisis after House Republicans passed the Secure America Act.

Chairwoman McClain was joined by Angel Family members Chris Storie, April Babcock, Jackie Long, Deborah Dinnocenzo, Michael Dinnocenzo, and Debbie Santini, whose families have suffered devastating losses as a result of illegal immigration, fentanyl trafficking, and failed border policies.

Watch Chairwoman McClain’s full remarks here.

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

Sadly, I wish you weren’t here. I’m sure you wish you weren’t here, too. But I applaud your courage to come and tell your story so we can hear your voices and America can hear your voices. Today is about keeping a promise to the American people.

For four years, we watched the consequences of an open-border agenda unfold in communities across the country. We saw record illegal crossings. We saw neighborhoods and families destroyed by fentanyl carried over the border.

Just take a look at what you see up here. These are facts. These are people. These are sons and daughters. Take a look at these faces. Put a face to the names, to the policies, and to the votes these people take.

We saw memorial photos replace family photos on living room mantels. Empty seats were left at dinner tables in towns and cities across this country.

And almost every single Democrat voted to open the border. You need to make them own that vote. You need to make them own the choices and the votes they made to put illegal criminals over our sons and daughters. That’s who they chose.

Take a look. They rolled out a welcome mat for caravans full of illegal immigrants and told violent criminals they could cross into America without facing fully funded and fully equipped border operations.

That is why today’s passage of the Secure America Act is so gravely important. This legislation gives our frontline law enforcement officers the resources they need to do their job and secure our borders. Most importantly, it sends a message to the families who have suffered unimaginable loss.

Some of whom we have here today, and sadly, I wish wouldn’t be here. They wouldn’t need to be here if we had our borders closed.

We hear you. We stand with you. And we are committed to ensuring other families never have to endure what you’ve had to endure. America is safer when our laws are actually enforced, our borders are secure, and common sense leads the way.

That is what we’re up here doing. We want to fight for your children. We want to make your communities safe, not open them up to violent illegal criminals.

But I’m going to share with you, that’s what every single Democrat wants. They want open borders. We don’t.

So, it is now my honor to put some names to the faces of the policies that, as Republicans, we fight every day with common-sense legislation like closing the border, protecting your communities, and protecting your children. But every day Democrats choose to roll out a welcome mat and let all these illegal immigrants come in.