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| The disaster at the border |
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This week I visited the southern border.
During the trip I joined other members of Congress who specialize in health care and national security. We toured Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services facilities in Brownsville, TX; Donna, TX; and McAllen, TX as we face an unprecedented surge of migrants attempting to enter the United States.
What I saw was a complete and total disaster. Before I visited I knew we were facing a crisis. However, it’s not a crisis at our southern border, it’s a full disaster and it is out of control.
The capacity of one facility we visited is 250 but they’ve had up to 5,000 people. Additionally, border patrol agents told us that the coyotes are successfully diverting attention at the border. So, agents are being moved away from critical border security needs to humanitarian positions that they may not be trained for. This seriously threatens our national security, especially when it comes to smuggling deadly drugs into the US.
The disaster at our border is real, and the President and Vice President need to wake up.
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| this week on buddy's briefing |
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This week on Buddy's Briefing we discuss the misinformation campaign about Georgia's Election Integrity Act and the disaster at our southern border.
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Also this week, I sent a letter to President Biden raising serious concerns about vaccine passports.
As a health care professional and a participant in a COVID-19 vaccine trial, I encourage all Americans to get a COVID vaccine. However, I absolutely do not support a mandatory vaccination or the use of vaccine passports.
Americans must have the freedom to choose what is best for their health and the health of their families. Requiring a vaccine passport not only violates these individual freedoms, it also puts personal health information at risk.
Click here to view the letter and learn more. |
| from our nation's capitol CCCVII |
Wednesday, April 7, 2021: Although I was with family for the Easter holiday earlier this week, I did have quite a few interviews. On Sunday, I had a phone interview with WTOC-TV in Savannah to discuss MLB’s pathetic decision to move the All-Star Game out of Georgia. MLB caved to the Left and the woke culture and ended up punishing the hardworking people of our great state because of the misinformation and lies that have been spread by President Joe Biden, Stacey Abrams, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock and other Democrats concerning the Election Integrity Act passed by the Georgia General Assembly. On Monday, I had a phone interview with the Daily Caller to discuss the recent letter I sent to Facebook and Twitter regarding the misinformation circulating on their platforms concerning Georgia’s Election Integrity Act and their lack of action. A link to this article can be found here. Later Monday, I had a phone interview with WJCL-TV in Savannah to discuss MLB’s pathetic move of the All-Star Game. A link to my interview can be found here. Finally on Monday, I had a virtual interview on Fox Business’s Evening Edit Tonight to discuss Georgia’s Election Integrity Act. A link to my interview can be found here. On Tuesday, I had a live interview on Fox Business’s Varney and Company to again discuss Georgia’s Election Integrity Act. A link to my interview can be found here.
Rep. Carter visits Saint Leo University |
After our all staff conference call this morning, I head to Saint Leo University in Savannah to tour their new campus and learn of the fine work they do with their education centers. Saint Leo University serves all members of the community with a special focus on our veteran community. Afterwards, I head to our Savannah office where I have a live virtual interview on Fox Business’s Cavuto: Coast to Coast as I discuss MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game to Denver, CO. A link to my interview can be found here. Later, I have a virtual call with ACT App Association as I take part in their annual App Economy Conference to discuss legislation I am sponsoring, the Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R. 1332). Next, I head to Savannah Technical College where I meet with my good friend, Dr. Kathy Love, who brings me up to date on the great work Savannah Tech has been doing during the pandemic and their post-pandemic plans.
Rep. Carter visits Savannah Technical College |
After a great visit, I head home to Pooler where I have a virtual interview with WSAV-TV to discuss recent drug overdoses in Georgia that are blamed on counterfeit medications. A link to my interview can be found here.
Thursday, April 8, 2021: I’m up early this morning and have a live radio interview on Sirius XM Patriot Channel’s Breitbart News Daily show where I discuss President Biden doing irreparable damage to the hard-working citizens of Georgia by spreading misinformation and lies about Georgia’s Election Integrity Act. Afterwards, I head to Rothwell Baptist Church in Pooler where I film this week’s edition of Buddy’s Briefing before heading to our Savannah office where I have a virtual call with my good friend Dr. Todd Groce, CEO of the Georgia Historical Society, who brings me up to date on how the society has progressed during the pandemic. Next, I have a virtual call with leadership of HCA Healthcare, including my good friend, Memorial Health CEO Shane George, as they share with me the great services their system has been delivering during the pandemic. After a virtual call with representatives from the American Farm Bureau to discuss their climate policy and how American farmers are a part of climate solutions, I head to downtown Savannah where I have a meeting with my good friend David Paddison to discuss economic issues. Next, I head back home to Pooler where I have the honor of joining my Congressional colleague, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), as we take part in a virtual meeting of the State Reform Federal Health Policy Conference to discuss Republican Health and Human Service policy priorities for the 117th Congress. The State of Reform conference is a non-partisan, policy agnostic event that bridges the gap between health policy and health care. Afterwards, I head to the airport for my flight to the Southwest border for my visit tomorrow.
Friday, April 9, 2021: After traveling late last night, I wake up this morning in McAllen, TX, where I join my colleagues in the Congressional Doctors Caucus for a tour of the border. We are, of course, interested in everything happening at the border but our focus of this trip is the situation with Unaccompanied Children (UC).
Rep. Carter visits the southern border |
The Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee that I serve on has jurisdiction over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency that has responsibility over UC. This is my fourth trip to the border, and whereas I felt I was prepared for what I thought would be a crisis, I was not prepared for what turned out to be a disaster. The recent executive orders enacted by President Joe Biden has resulted in a surge in illegal immigrants crossing our border, the likes of which have not been seen in over 15 years. Our first stop this morning is at the Brownsville Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Station where we receive a briefing before touring the facility. This is a smaller facility but is still overwhelmed with the high number of illegal immigrants. Currently, of the 28 UC who are at the facility, 21 are in isolation with cases of chicken pox, COVID, flu, etc. While their total capacity is 57, at one point recently they had 130 illegal immigrants housed here.
Rep. Carter at the HHS UC Delphi site |
Afterwards, we head to the Donna Processing Facility where the new HHS UC Delphi site is being constructed. UC are taken to CBP processing centers before they are transferred to HHS for care. Currently under construction, the HHS site is built on 11 acres and includes over 37,000 square feet of tents. It includes a welcoming center, COVID isolation tent, pods with a capacity of 375, and is scheduled to welcome 1,500 UC in 21 days. Unfortunately, this is too little, too late, as we go next door and tour the CBP processing facility that has a capacity of 250 and today has 3500 illegal immigrants including 2,600 UC. During the last few weeks, their census has been over 5000 at times. By law UC are to be kept at CBP processing centers for no more than 72 hours (3 days). Because of the overwhelming number, the average stay now is 130 hours (5.5 days).
Extreme overcrowding at the CBP facility in Donna, TX |
During our visit today, we were told of one child who had been here 28 days and 10 children who had been here for 20 days. CBP officers told us they are seeing more females and children under the age of 10 than ever before. Next, we meet with Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector Command staff for an operations overview. The RGV sector along the Southwest border covers 277 miles and is one of the busiest of the nine sectors. Last month (March 2021), there were 62,000 arrests made- the highest number in history.
Rep. Carter meets with Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector Command staff for an operations overview |
This year, 700 of the 3200 CBP agents have been pulled out of the field and away from the work they are trained to do in order to deal with the overwhelming number of children in the processing centers. We were told in one 23-mile area, 3 CBP agents are monitoring as opposed to the 15-20 they usually have on duty. In the RGV sector alone, they have had illegal immigrants from 64 different countries cross the border. Afterwards, we traveled to Mission, TX, to the Chimney Park community where we saw a wall that was originally approved for 110 miles, but construction had been stopped by the Biden Administration after only 21 miles had been completed.
Rep. Carter visits a section of the border wall in the Chimney Park community |
The wall was to serve a dual purpose- as a barrier and to protect the residents from flooding. Our last stop is back in McAllen where we visit a temporary outdoor processing site on the Rio Grande River where more immigrants cross illegally than all the other areas in the RGV sector combined. Afterwards, we head to Anzaduas Park on the Rio Grande where we have a press conference to discuss our experiences today. A link to the press conference can be found here. Before I leave the park, I have a live Facetime interview with WJXT-TV in Jacksonville to discuss my visit, and during the drive to the airport, I have phone interviews with WTOC-TV and then WSAV-TV in Savannah to discuss my visit. |
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