Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet with small business owners, farmers, educators, and families from across South Alabama. Again and again, their biggest concern is the chaos at the southern border.

I proudly supported passage of the strongest border security bill ever passed by Congress. HR 2, the Border Security Act of 2023, would restart construction of the border wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, and strengthen current laws to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking. Make no mistake, HR 2 will strengthen the security of our southern border. With my strong support, this bill passed the House of Representatives on May 11, 2023, and is now in the hands of the Senate.

I also supported the House version of the FY 2024 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. The bill allocates $2.1 billion to complete the southern border wall. The bill also authorizes $496 million for 22,000 new Border Patrol agents, the largest amount ever. We must address this crisis and protect all Americans while cutting wasteful government spending. Also important is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. I supported the NDAA when it passed the House. Because the NDAA requires the Department of Defense to use materials it already has to build the wall and fully fund the National Guard mission at the southern border.

I have supported the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who has failed in his job to protect this nation's borders. Under his watch, at least 300 people from the FBI's terrorist watch list have entered the country illegally, not to mention the daily flow of drugs and human trafficking. When Secretary Mayorkas became Secretary of Homeland Security, he swore an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, and he has not fully lived up to that oath. Thankfully, he was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 13th, but this fight is far from over. The Senate must quickly vote to convict and remove him from office.

I also traveled to many countries in South America and spoke with their law enforcement and local officials to better understand what the root of this problem is. We have to stop it before people get here.

Securing our borders and ensuring the safety and security of all Americans is my top priority, and I can promise you that we will not stop fighting until this crisis is over.

Jerry Carl represents Alabama's 1st Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.