Homeland Security

I am proud to serve on the Homeland Security Committee, where I deal first-hand with vital issues that impact the 22nd District of Texas. As a member of the Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response subcommittee, I have the opportunity to exercise oversight over the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As thousands of residents continue to rebuild after the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike, I will fight to ensure that Southeast Texas receives needed assistance to fully recover.

Serving on the Homeland Security Committee also provides me a unique opportunity to monitor the troubling and growing violence on our border with Mexico. As criminal activity increases in Mexico, we must do all we can on the state and federal levels to make sure that our citizens are protected and our borders are secure.

On the issue of immigration, I believe the federal immigration process is fundamentally flawed. Those who seek to come to our nation legally face interminable delays and onerous bureaucracy, while a revolving door of illegal immigration continues unimpeded. I believe the first step toward fixing the problem is to reinforce the rule of law on our border to stem the growing tide of human and drug trafficking. Furthermore, I will work with federal, state and local law enforcement to identify, apprehend, and deport illegal immigrant and gang members who are in our country committing serious crimes.