With the world in turmoil and constant threats here at home, the president's top priorities should be supporting our national defense and leading on the world stage.

Our adversaries are becoming bolder and more capable, and the United States must continue to maintain an absolutely superior military posture to protect against all threats. In the past two years alone, we've seen Afghanistan fall to the Taliban, Ukraine invaded by Russia, Israel attacked by Hamas, and our soldiers killed overseas. Meanwhile, China's invasion continues in the Western Pacific. The world is becoming more dangerous and less safe, and President Biden needs to step up and do the job he was sworn to do under his oath.

Needless to say, our southern border is wide open and you never know who might enter the country illegally. Just last August, members of the MS-13 gang crossed the border in Chelsea, Alabama. I've said it before and I'll continue to shout it from the rooftops. Border security is national security. Biden's border crisis has turned every state into a border state.

In December alone, 302,034 illegal immigrants crossed the southern border, bringing the total to about 8.3 million since Joe Biden took office. That, folks, is almost twice the population of the entire state of Alabama. But Senate Democrats and President Biden have refused to pass HR 2, the most powerful border bill ever passed by Congress.

None of this would have happened under President Trump's leadership, and we need to have President Trump back in the White House in 2024 to ensure the safety and security of all Americans.

The president's job is simple. It's about protecting the American people by securing our borders and protecting our interests overseas. As I have said before, the American people deserve leadership from President Biden, and so far we have not seen such leadership. The president must take action to secure our borders and demonstrate strength and leadership on the world stage before it's too late.

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