AUSTIN, Texas – Former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush today announced the formation of a new political action committee (PAC). The new PAC, known as Restore Trust, will support candidates seeking election to local, state, and national office.
“Restore Trust will remind our fellow Americans of our unassailable rights to scrutinize, demand and expect efficient and effective government,” said Bush, son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, and nephew of former President George W. Bush. “We will support candidates and elected officials who fearlessly champion new approaches to reduce the size and scope of government and reform bureaucracies that make America less competitive.”
According to recent polling, only 19 percent of Americans have faith that federal officials will do the right thing ‘most of the time,’ while confidence in local and state officials is substantially higher at 66 percent and 57 percent, respectively. Despite a recent uptick in voting participation, a recent study shows the U.S. ranks 31st out of 50 surveyed democracies.
Bush said a big part of this disconnect between the government and the citizens it was created to serve stems from the runaway spending and debt to support a bloated federal bureaucracy far in excess of the nation’s needs.
Specifically, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has concluded that more than $2.4 trillion worth of avoidable errors have been rendered over the last 20 years, and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office recently noted that Congress has failed to reauthorize 1,118 appropriations that expired before the beginning of fiscal year 2022, while still spending $461 billion this year on programs that have expired authorizations. Sadly, $203 billion has been appropriated for programs that expired over a decade ago.
“We reject the notion that government bureaucracy left untouched or unscrutinized will somehow achieve positive outcomes,” Bush said. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people can only happen with the input and oversight of us all.”
Arlington, VA – Protecting Americans Action Fund, dedicated to electing prosecutors who will enforce our laws, proudly announces that former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and former Texas Land Commission George P. Bush are joining the advisory board.
“As the former U.S. Attorney General, I am proud to join Protecting Americans Action Fund because we need prosecutors who will enforce our laws, rather than criminal-friendly, progressive prosecutors who constantly fail victims and communities,” said former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. “Our judicial system was set up for prosecutors to prosecute, defense attorneys to defend, and a jury to decide the outcome. This organization will get us back on track by electing prosecutors who understand the duties of their position.
“Some of the most important local races are county prosecutors. I am proud to join Protecting Americans Action Fund, whose sole objective is to elect individuals who will enforce our laws,” said former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. “Here in Texas, we’ve seen George Soros hard at work to elect progressive prosecutors in multiple districts. Last year, we saw him spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in Tarrant County, where Protecting Americans Action Fund-backed candidate Phil Sorrells was ultimately victorious. I look forward to helping them continue to promote commonsense prosecutors both in Texas and across the country.”
“Former Attorney General Bill Barr and Texas conservative George P. Bush believe in law and order, and it’s an honor to have these two leaders on our advisory board,” said Protecting Americans Action Fund Chairman and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “With Barr and Bush, we will continue to elect conservative prosecutors who take their job of enforcing our laws seriously.”
Protecting Americans Action Fund is led by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. The organization’s advisory board includes a wide range of individuals committed to national public safety issues.
The Biden Administration’s energy agenda has sought to move the United States away from its historical reliance on fossil fuels, which provided 60.2 percent of the nation’s total energy use in 2022. Tragically, the Biden team has failed to account for the central role oil, natural gas, and nuclear-powered energy play in securing our nation’s prosperity and security. The conflict in Ukraine shocked the energy sector and induced President Biden to look for energy in all the wrong places, like Venezuela. Although domestic renewable energy production increased modestly, there is no currently reliable, scalable, and exploitable substitute for non-renewable sources. Not surprisingly, Americans endured a spike in energy prices these last two years, with price increases taking more than $180 per month out of the average family’s budget, or roughly five percent of the average monthly household income.
With supply chains still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and American families and businesses continuing to struggle with inflated energy and commodity prices, the House Republican majority has introduced a package of bills to resolve policies that have undermined U.S. national and energy security. Signaling that fixing energy policy will be its top priority, the newly elected House majority made the Lower Energy Costs Act its first order of legislative business by designating it as H.R. 1, the bill number traditionally reserved for the majority party’s most important agenda item. The proposed legislation is a compendium of energy reforms originating in three House committees: Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure. Republican leaders have reserved this entire week to debate and ultimately approve the package.
Below, we evaluate the merits of the Lower Energy Costs Act, which would reform land leasing, overhaul environmental protections that strictly limit resource extraction, and streamline the regulatory approval process for mineral resource extraction and nuclear energy development.
At its best, government-owned land can help us achieve important goals, such as protecting wildlife refuges and funding public priorities. Approximately 39 percent of the total land in the United States is owned by government entities, including 28 percent by the federal government. In many western states, the share of government ownership is much higher, and is a major source of controversy. For example, only 14 percent of the land in Nevada is in private hands; the federal government owns 84 percent, severely constraining Nevadans’ self-determination.
One solution may be to devolve control of public lands to the states. Texas’ success in managing public lands could serve as a national model.
Through prudent management of lands with minimal oversight, Texas has consistently generates larger revenues from smaller acreage, when compared to other states’ and federal lands, all while utilizing fewer personnel. The federal government continues to underperform in terms of revenue, due to overregulation and relying on a much larger workforce.
We all know that everything is bigger in Texas—including the upcoming biannual revenue estimate. Thanks to escalating property values, robust oil and gas pricing and increased sales tax generation led by Texas consumers, revenue will potentially reach more than $280 billion.
Yet, as is all too often the case, the runup to this legislative session has been filled with a cacophony of silence when anyone around the Capitol suggests downsizing government, reducing the size and scope of regulation, or reducing property tax liability on homeowners. We are, sadly, used to seeing this in Washington D.C., where under two years of the Biden Administration over $5.7 trillion in spending has been approved leading toward record national debt and historic inflation. Further, pork barrel earmark spending was restored by Congress earlier this year.
While bloated government and wasteful spending is nothing new out of Washington, this isn’t what’s supposed to happen here in Texas—in recent history, we’ve been a model for restraining spending, voting in the halls of power consistently for smaller government and less obtrusive regulation on businesses and everyday life. But this legislative session is different with an estimated $27 billion in cash surplus, a Rainy Day Fund near its statutory limit at $13.67 billion, with education focused endowments like the Permanent School Fund and the Permanent University Fund flush with cash at over $80 billion in assets under management. The size of the Texas budget surplus is larger than the annual general fund expenditures of 40 other states. Why are legislators being so coy about this historic opportunity to return money to the Texas taxpayers?
Results speak for themselves when conservative ideas win in the Texas State Capitol. Texas is the state with the most Fortune 500 companies, according to the Fortune 500 annual list of the largest U.S. corporations, with 53 Fortune 500 corporate headquarters that call our state home. Many of these companies have moved from higher tax, higher regulated states including the announcement this past Summer that Caterpillar will be relocating here from Illinois. From startups to large corporations, job creators choose Texas because of our business-friendly climate and an understanding that our elected leaders won’t abuse or mishandle the precious resources taxpayers provide. With jobs comes more population growth, which is one of the greatest indications of success—particularly when many who come here are from states with bloated government with debt obligations that have no hope of ever being repaid. But to continue this remarkable streak, Texas leaders need to be vigilant with our resources and concerned voters need to hold them accountable.
A bold conservative outcome for this Session would be to provide a long-awaited property tax relief package that sends a loud and clear message to Texas property owners that they no longer have to fear being taxed out of their home. Additionally, the Lege should work on an across the board cut of operational budgets for State agencies much like private business underwent during the economic uncertainties of COVID. Consequently, business and investment would continue to be attracted to the dynamic Texas economy with the knowledge that state government can responsibly manage excess revenues and encourage accountability of its executive agencies to operate efficiently.
Don’t let legislators hide behind constitutional amendments that they claim restrict this action—demand that they do their job. Creativity and determination should triumph when it comes to taxpayer dollars. Everything might be bigger in Texas, but government spending doesn’t always have to be. If you agree with me that this Session should prioritize the Texas taxpayer, please call your legislator to make your voice heard.
As I complete two terms as the 28th Land Commissioner for the Great State of Texas, my heart is filled with immense pride as I reflect upon our accomplishments. I am thankful to our great team of professionals at the General Land Office for their efforts in doing “more with less,” their flexibility during the most devastating storm in Texas history and the COVID pandemic, and their altruistic sense for serving higher causes.
I campaigned on the idea that private sector principles are needed in government. Upon taking office, we immediately went to work with a spirit for service and achieving government efficiency in the State’s oldest agency.
Advocating for “leaner and cleaner” government is something I will continue to do, particularly in the executive agencies that spend more and more taxpayer money but accomplish less than ever for the people they committed to serve.
Now, I’d like to give you a look back on what we achieved over the last eight years.
Government Accountability
I took the position that reforms are needed across all executive agencies as it relates to contracting, conflicts of interest, and transparency—by starting with my own agency.
I reformed GLO’s contracting processes, eliminating no-bid contracts in nearly all circumstances. I created the Director of Open Government Position to overhaul the GLO’s standards for open records requests and uphold the highest standards of transparency within our government.
Established a Compliance Division to monitor the GLO contracting process to prevent conflicts of interest and to ensure transactions are accomplished openly and fairly across the Agency.
Reduced government spending, leading by example. I required all my directors to justify each expenditure every year, rather than the conventional method of adopting last year’s budget and increasing it based on CPI or other measures utilized in D.C.
Veterans
As the only non-judicial statewide office holder in Texas to have served in the military, I felt compelled to advocate for veterans during my time as Chair of the Veterans Land Board. In 2016, I initiated the “Year of the Veteran” at the GLO by attending and hosting over 100 veterans’ events. Through this journey traveling throughout the state with veterans of all backgrounds, we developed many ideas to better serve these Texas patriots.
I initiated the Unaccompanied Veteran Burial Program upon learning that many patriots passed without next of kin claiming or initiating the process of burial at Texas State Veterans Cemeteries. We have successfully increased awareness, having multiple burials with over 400 individuals in attendance. As of November, we have buried 180 Veterans without known next-of-kin as part of this program. Other states are now looking at creating their own programs to replicate our success.
I commissioned the 9th Texas State Veterans Home in Houston. The project was completed in 2020 and immediately began housing Texas Veterans, bringing the total of Texas Veterans living their golden years in the care of the VLB to over 1,000. Additionally, the Veterans Land Board unanimously decided to create a 10th home in Fort Worth.
In first term, I worked to create a new website for veterans that streamlined access to services and benefits. Four years later, we expanded services once again, increasing access to information regarding all VLB programs.
To better connect service veterans to the community, I created several initiatives, including “Mail Drop,” a letter-writing campaign that encourages citizens to write the Veterans residing in our VLB Nursing Homes and thank them for their service and sacrifice. Nearly 1,700 Texans now engage with our Veterans monthly.
As I examined the incredible stories from our Voices of Veterans program, I realized we were not capturing the stories of our post 9/11 veterans. I authorized the creation of Next Gen Warrior, a series to capture the success stories of post-9/11 Veterans as they leave the battlefield and transition into civilian life. Throughout this series, nearly 100 post 9/11 Veterans’ stories were added to our collection, while 247 Veterans’ stories have been archived.
Many veterans in nursing homes celebrate their centennial while in our care. This led us to create the 100 for 100 program, helping Texas State Veterans Nursing Home residents celebrate their 100th birthday. For each birthday celebration, our team requested 100 cards from the community. Each call for cards resulted in thousands of Texans responding and showering our veterans with well wishes and respect. Since the creation of the program, 8 Texas Veterans have celebrated their 100th birthday with us.
Perhaps a hallmark of my time at the GLO was being known as the “technology Commissioner,” leading the implementation of new programs and technology across the Agency. It also marked the first time that artificial intelligence was integrated into the VLB’s daily operations to expand customer service for Texas Veterans through a virtual assistant, aptly named “Maverick.” Maverick utilizes cutting-edge A.I. solutions and is designed to save Veterans time and frustration while navigating their benefits. To date, 4,410 Veterans have received assistance from Maverick.
Education
As the only former educator to serve statewide and considering the GLO provides a large source of revenue to K-12 public education, I engaged in “A Conversation with our Future,” visiting 50 schools across Texas. These weren’t typical “politician” school tours. Instead, I taught a Texas history lesson in each classroom with GLO archives, restored maps, and even a cannonball fired at the Battle of the Alamo. Through this year-long exploration of Texas education, we interacted with students, parents, and front-line teachers, leading to meaningful discussions with state and local elected officials on how to improve education in Texas.
From this experience, I was able to better leverage the GLO platform to help champion school choice reform in Texas. We should place a priority on all types of educational systems, including homeschool, public, private, charter, intercity, rural, and dual language. We need to continue advocating about the need for greater accountability and more results in public education.
Post-COVID, we developed and rebranded the previously created GLO education website to streamline information access and lesson plans provided by the GLO for use by Texas educators and parents. New content is continually created, providing more resources than ever before to teachers across Texas. To date, we’ve created 16 new lesson plans for Texas teachers.
Four of these lesson plans utilized Voices of Veterans oral history interviews to bring Texas Veterans’ tales of valor and bravery to life inside our classrooms. Lesson plans take interviews from each conflict dating back to WWII and help students learn from primary source interviews.
In perhaps the most obvious “common sense” moment of my time as Commissioner, I advocated for Texas children’s rights to engage in free enterprise and operate lemonade stands without the overreach of government regulation.
Energy & Property Rights
Bringing real-world energy sector and asset management experience to the GLO, I sought to modernize the manner in which the State leased oil and gas minerals to maximize revenues for K-12 education. In partnering with EnergyNet.com, we pioneered the effort to enable online bidding for energy lease sales. Today, the PSF is performing better than ever, generating the highest returns in history. In fact, in 2022, we recorded the highest revenues in GLO history, generating over $17 billion in revenue.
Being a good steward of natural resources requires robust legal defense, and we were successful in defending Texas lands. We won a major victory for Texas schoolchildren, standing up to the federal Bureau of Land Management’s illegal land grab, protecting state assets for years to come. We fought abuse of the Endangered Species Act by successfully contesting how U.S. Fish and Wildlife defined the status of the Golden Cheeked Warbler in Central Texas.
Given the emphasis on reform and process updates, we generated record-breaking returns for oil and gas and distributed the largest allocations in history to the school children of Texas. In 2019, for the first time in history, oil and gas revenues generated over $1 billion in revenue for the PSF, enabling us to send even more PSF money to students and classrooms across the state. In 2022, we broke that record, generating over $1.7 billion in revenue.
As the energy industry came under attack by the Biden Administration’s overregulation, I launched the “Year of Energy” initiative, working with industry stakeholders to create a comprehensive, “all of the above” energy approach for Texas. Traveling across the state to examine workforce readiness programs at the high school level, I brought the oil and gas economy to life inside classrooms, joining TXOGA and Commissioner Todd Staples to engage with students in understanding how important the energy industry is to our great state.
There is no doubt that Texas’ economy is based on oil and gas. However, Texas has embraced our God-given natural resources while encouraging conservation and driving clean energy innovation. This unique and comprehensive approach has put Texas at the forefront as an international energy producer. Texas leads the nation in energy sector innovation without government intervention. Under my leadership, the GLO forged into new renewable energy leases, generating $230,056.97 from wind energy and $829,635.30 in solar leases.
As COVID-19 swept across the nation, I led the School Land Board in taking action to mitigate the 2020 oil and gas crisis during COVID-19, waiving penalties and interest on late royalty payments. Further, I called on the President and Congress to act by filling our strategic petroleum reserves and consider other free market options to safely and fairly get the critical oil and gas economy back up and running.
Established the Texas Defense Task Force to identify federal overreach and fend off threats to the Texas oil and gas economy, following Governor Abbott’s executive order for state agencies to prepare to protect Texas’ energy industry in the years ahead. The Task Force has worked to ensure that Texas energy is preserved for generations to come by legally defending the state’s invaluable energy resources both here at home and in the courthouse. Texas oil and gas is the backbone of our great state. Not only does the energy industry power our homes and businesses, but it also serves as a critical job creator and makes our state such a desirable place to live. The jobs and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Texas families must and will be guarded through every legal action taken. President Biden’s actions against the oil and gas industry will produce a chilling effect against energy workers.
Alamo/History
As a student of history and former Board member of the Texas State History Museum, I knew that the Alamo had been forgotten by leadership and that it was time to restore the Church and Long Barracks while planning a future museum to better articulate the heroism and selflessness demonstrated during the siege of 1836.
Over two legislative sessions, we secured over $130 million to address long-overdue preservation work for the Alamo, ensuring the remaining structures are around for another 300 years to come. In addition, we established a historic partnership with the city of San Antonio and key stakeholders to reunite and restore the Alamo Battlefield, closing the street in front of the church that created car traffic across the sacred ground where the defenders gave their lives for liberty—this is the first time since 1836 that the battlefield is under State control.
Among several cannons, our team restored and returned the Alamo’s iconic 18-pounder cannon to the Alamo battlefield. In the Fall of 2022, I was proud to unveil the completion of the Alamo Collection and Exhibit Building on the east side of the State footprint to display the iconic Phill Collins Alamo Collection.
Led GLO in passing new legislation that allows the Save Texas History program to accept private donations, allowing the GLO map program to begin acquisition of new historic Texas maps, such as Zebulon Pike’s atlas of six printed maps, detailing the exploration of Spanish Texas. The maps provided new material for researchers of early Texas history to understand how our state came to be. In total, we obtained 420 new maps and documents for the agency’s collection. To increase access to the incredible collection of maps and documents in the Land Office Archives, I set out to digitize the collection so that Texans across the state and nation could easily access their history. In total, our team scanned 3,388,299 maps and documents into a digital archive that is freely accessible to the people of Texas.
Disaster Recovery
Historically, the GLO helps Texans recover from natural disasters across our great state, and as a hurricane victim myself, it is a role I take very seriously. By far, the most devastating storm in our state’s history was Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall three times, caused over $120 billion in property damage, and killed 39 Texans. On my watch, we immediately responded through partnerships with FEMA and HUD to assemble the largest housing mission in American history. We have helped build or rebuild over 5,792 homes, with 467 under construction, and 1,356 awaiting construction, ultimately assisting over 84,000 Texans. By all accounts, the GLO has repeatedly outperformed other disaster response organizations across the Country.
The Harvey Recovery Mission assigned to the GLO was the first time in our nation’s history that the federal government and state government have partnered together to help Texans recover from disaster. I’ve consistently advocated for expediting federal funds through letters to federal officials and engaging with Congressional leaders on both sides, and focused on efficiently and effectively administering disaster recovery and mitigation programs so that these funds do not languish in Washington, DC – but it isn’t easy. While we all learned a multitude of lessons during this process, I personally watched as Texans were subjected to the federal government’s endless array of red tape and changes in administration.
As such, I made it a personal mission to reform federal disaster relief laws and firmly believe that Congress needs to learn these lessons from Texas now before catastrophic events hit Americans in other parts of the country.
Coastal
While many associate Texas with the “wild west” and endless pastures, Texas truly is a coastal state. With Texas’ critical position as the nation’s number one energy producer, and a key partner in the import and export of food products, the Texas coast is a crucial location for our national economy. There is no doubt that improved coastal protection measures are needed to ensure our state and nation’s stability for years to come. With 367 miles of Gulf beaches and more than 3,300 miles of bays and estuaries, Texas has one of the longest coastlines in the country.
As Land Commissioner, I’ve led the GLO as we accomplished milestones, from managing the public coastline, preparing for hurricane and disaster preparedness, running adopt-a-beach programs, conducting Oil Spill Prevention and Response efforts, to re-nourishing beaches, and serving as a local partner in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the creation of a coastal barrier system.
Completed the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study, also known as the Coastal Texas Study, which proposes a comprehensive plan to reduce damage from storm surges and restore the ecosystem. Ultimately, the study was approved by the United States Congress.
Led the Agency in completing 14 beach renourishment projects, totaling 7,226,124 cubic feet of new fill.
Implemented 369 beach clean-ups with 93,233 volunteers in cleaning up 1,966,518 pounds of trash from Texas shorelines.
The Agency responded to 5,132 oil spills and worked with the community to turn in 1,737 vessels, giving Texans a means to voluntarily and legally dispose of their vessels before they become a danger to the public or environment.
Final Thoughts
As you see, we implemented a full agenda over the course of eight years and four legislative sessions, knowing that time was short and that the people of Texas expected nothing less. I firmly believe that nearly every government agency should operate with the same sense of urgency and join the cause to make government more responsive to the people we serve.
I want you to know that this fight doesn’t end here, in fact, it is only beginning. I hope you will continue following me on social media and stay engaged with my quarterly newsletter where I will keep you posted on the latest in government and events of the day. I want you to be part of my team that continues to call for “leaner and cleaner” government and stands behind highly qualified Republican candidates that can help get it done.
Just before Thanksgiving, I had the honor of attending and speaking at the Sneak Preview event for the Alamo Collections Center. This facility is the first building developed as part of the Alamo Plan, which will at long last, allow for our state’s most famous landmark to be appropriately honored and protected for future generations of Texans. I can’t wait for this facility to officially open to the public on March 3, 2023.
This Sneak Preview event allowed us to celebrate a tremendous step forward in our sacred duty to preserve our State’s most cherished symbol of freedom and independence. The Alamo and the legacy of its courageous defenders, who laid down their lives in the name of liberty, continue to be the backbone of the strong principles that have guided Texans for generations. The new Exhibition Hall & Collections Building will help Texans immerse themselves in the rich history of the Alamo while surrounded by its most precious artifacts, and I look forward to the endless educational opportunities this new addition will bring to all who visit.
The Alamo Collections Center will provide 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, more than five times the current amount. This new building will also house storage and conservation space for the Alamo Collection in order to ensure proper long-term care of objects and artifacts.
In addition to the Collections Center, I’m also very excited for the new Visitor Center and Museum, which is expected to open in 2026. I hope you’re looking forward to these exciting changes that will preserve the Alamo and help share its stories for generations to come.
As October came to a close, I had the opportunity to celebrate the soft opening of the 10th Texas State Veterans Home with Keynote Speaker D’Juan Wilcher – Deputy Director of the Veterans and Military Families George W. Bush Institute, elected officials, members of the Fort Worth community, and individuals from across the state who are committed to serving Texas Veterans.
The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) was honored to be joined by a surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen, General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse, who was presented with an award recognizing his selfless service in defense of our freedom.
The VLB, on behalf of the people of Texas, has celebrated Veterans Day every day by taking care of the 1.8 million military Veterans that reside in the most patriotic state and the greatest country that the world has ever seen. This new home will be more than just a facility, more than brick and mortar. It will truly be a home for our bravest heroes, and I want to thank the future staffers and skilled nursing professionals that will care for the military Veterans who will reside here.
Sincerely,
George P. Bush
It was an honor to chat with General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse
It was my pleasure to help open this important facility that many of our brave veterans will call “home”
AUSTIN, Texas — The 2021 9/11 Heroes Run took place Sunday at Austin’s Camp Mabry, and among this year’s runners was a familiar face.
Texas Land Commissioner – and Texas attorney general candidate – George P. Bush and his wife participated in this year’s event along with their two boys.
The run aims to unite communities around the world in hopes that we will never forget the heroes who served after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the wars since, such as veterans, first responders, civilians and military.
George P Bush on Tuesday said that the suspected ISIS assassination plot against his uncle highlights the “national security crisis” at the southern border — after it was revealed that the alleged plan to smuggle collaborators over from Mexico.
The Department of Justice announced that an Iraqi citizen, Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, living in Columbus, Ohio has been charged with aiding and abetting a plot to kill former President George W. Bush.
The statement added that the suspect originally came to the United States in September 2020 on a visitor visa and filed for asylum in March 2021 which is pending review. Shihab is alleged to have exchanged money with other individuals in an attempt to illegally smuggle foreign nationals into the United States and specifically planned to help four Iraqi nationals come into the United States across the southern border to help kill Bush.
“It just underscores the need for a perspective that this is a national security crisis that’s occurring on our southern border,” George P Bush said in an interview with Fox News.
“I’m a military veteran who served in Afghanistan specializing in high value targets and spectacular attacks from ISIS and also the Taliban. And this is what I’ve been talking about on the southern border, that if we have a porous and open border policy, it welcomes people,” he said. “And even the Biden’s administration estimated that 23 members of the FBI terrorist watch list came across our border. Imagine the amount of undetected terrorists that that came through our borders.”
“And so this confirms the national security issues and underscores the importance of securing our border,” he said.
