Hartzler votes to uphold efforts to protect our border

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04) voted against H.J. Res 46, legislation designed to stop the Trump Administration’s efforts to protect our southern border. Citing the need to halt illegal immigration and the flow of deadly drugs through our border, Hartzler voiced her support for the President’s efforts, while stating she believes there are ways to fund border security with non-defense dollars.

“My colleagues across the aisle voted to terminate the President’s use of a congressionally authorized power that other American presidents have used at least 31 times,” Hartzler said. “The National Emergencies Act gives presidents the authority to declare national emergencies and shift resources to address such emergencies. Opposition across the aisle is disingenuous considering both Presidents Clinton and Obama used this tool to fight drug traffickers and transnational gangs during their time in office. If President Obama declared national emergencies in Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine, South Sudan and Burundi, why can’t the president do the same to protect our very own border?

“The situation there is certainly an emergency. I recently visited the port of entry south of Tucson, Arizona and witnessed the ways that deadly drugs and human trafficking are finding their way into our country. Ninety percent of the heroin in our nation comes across our southern boundary, killing tens of thousands of Americans a year. Illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds are walking across our porous border, harming communities and trafficking drugs. In 2017, we lost over 70,000 Americans to drug overdoses—more than died during the entire Vietnam War. For every family who has lost a loved one to drug overdoses and every family that could lose one if steps aren’t taken – it is time to act.

“Real people are being harmed. A young woman from Missouri named Samantha, a high school cheerleader and beloved student, was introduced to heroin and, sadly, succumbed to addiction, dying of an overdose in 2017. In December, we heard the tragic story of California Police Officer Ronil Singh, who was gunned down by an illegal immigrant in a routine traffic stop the day after Christmas. Both of these tragedies could have been avoided if we had stopped illegal drugs and criminal illegal aliens at the border.

“While my Democrat colleagues work to undercut the President’s efforts, they offer no solutions to these obvious issues. Obstructionism will not stop the flow of drugs into our country or bring back loved ones who have died because of the drug epidemic in America. Opponents say that we do not have an emergency, but I believe the families of these victims would beg to differ.

“I stand by the President’s declaration of a national emergency and support his efforts to secure our border and protect our families and communities.”

H.J. Res. 46 passed the House by a vote of 245-182; it now goes to the Senate, where it awaits further consideration.

Background:

The following national emergencies have been declared by past Administrations:

Nov. 14, 1979: President Carter = Blocking Iranian Government Property

Nov. 4, 1994: President Clinton = Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

January 23, 1995: President Clinton = Prohibiting Transactions with Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process

March 15, 1995: President Clinton = Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to the Development of Iranian Petroleum Resources

Oct. 21, 1995: President Clinton = Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions with Significant Narcotics Traffickers

March 1, 1996: President Clinton = Declaration of a National Emergency and Invocation of Emergency Authority Relating to the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels

Nov. 3, 1997: President Clinton = Blocking Sudanese Government Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Sudan

June 26, 2001: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property of Persons who Threaten International Stabilization Efforts in the Western Balkans

Sept. 14, 2001: President G.W. Bush = Declaration of National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks

Sept. 23, 2001: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism

March 6, 2003: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property of Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Zimbabwe

May 22, 2003: President G.W. Bush = Protecting the Development Fund for Iraq and Certain Other Property in Which Iraq has an Interest

May 11, 2004: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Syria

June 16, 2006: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus

Oct. 27, 2006: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Aug. 1, 2007: President G.W. Bush = Blocking Property of Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or its Democratic Processes and Institutions

June 26, 2008: President G.W. Bush = Continuing Certain Restrictions with Respect to North Korea and North Korean Nationals

April 12, 2010: President Obama = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Somalia

Feb. 25, 2011: President Obama = Blocking Property and Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related to Libya

July 24,  2011: President Obama = Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations

May 16,  2012: President Obama = Blocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security, or Stability of Yemen

March 6, 2014: President Obama = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine

April 3, 2014: President Obama = Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to South Sudan

May 12,  2014: President Obama = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Central African Republic

March 8, 2015: President Obama = Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Venezuela

April 1,  2015: President Obama = Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities

Nov. 22,  2015: President Obama = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Burundi

Dec. 20, 2017: President Trump = Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption

Sept. 12, 2018: President Trump = Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election

Nov. 27, 2018: President Trump = Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Nicaragua

Feb. 15, 2019: President Trump = Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States