Mike Garcia, GOP Lawmakers Demand Answers, Transparency on Biden Border Crisis
Washington,
June 15, 2021
Tags:
National Security
Representative Mike Garcia (R-CA) and fellow House Appropriations Committee Members, Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), and John R. Carter (R-TX) as well as five other republican lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Mike Garcia (R-CA) and fellow House Appropriations Committee Members, Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), and John R. Carter (R-TX) as well as five other republican lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. The letter comes after the lawmakers were denied access to the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) while visiting the southern border. The facility operates under the Department of Justice (DOJ) and is run by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In the letter to Attorney General Garland, the lawmakers stressed that the administration’s action to block the lawmakers’ access to the facility is concerning and lacks the transparency promised by President Biden. “With each passing day, it becomes clearer that this administration is desperately trying to cover up the failures that led to the worst border crisis in our country’s history and that they intend to hide the truth from the American people about how their tax dollars are being spent, and how dangerous Biden’s policy decisions will be for generations to come," the lawmakers wrote. As an appropriator in Congress, it is imperative that Garcia and fellow lawmakers have access to federally funded facilities to provide proper oversight and ensure taxpayer dollars are properly spent. “The DOJ’s decision to restrict our access is truly inconceivable under our democratic republic, where congressional oversight is a fundamental check in potential abuse of the president’s executive power. No excuse, whether it be “time constraints” or otherwise, is acceptable when it impedes Members of Congress from performing their jobs as established by Article I of the U.S. Constitution,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers had intended to visit EPIC to better understand what is being done to address threats to the nation resulting from the current lack of border security. This visit is especially important considering record amounts of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that are coming across the porous U.S. border. Additionally, Garcia planned to speak with DEA officials about the illegal marijuana grows threatening communities in California’s 25th District, a problem that is fueled by the current lack of border security. The letter was signed by Representatives Mike Garcia (R-CA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), John R. Carter (R-TX), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Jim Hagedorn (R-MN), and Yvette Herrell (R-NM). Read the full letter here. Click here to watch Garcia share concerns over the lack of transparency at border facilities on Fox News. Click here to watch coverage on Garcia’s trip on FOX LA. |