By Rep. John Katko In the week leading up to President Biden's inauguration, caravans of migrants began making their way to the United States fueled by his rhetoric. This is the direct result of the policies Biden preached on the campaign trail and the executive orders implemented in the early days of his administration. Our Central American partners will only be able to hold the line on stopping these caravans for so long before efforts become futile. This is not hyperbole or alarmist talk but simply undeniable recognition that we are on the precipice of a full-fledged border crisis. Biden wasted no time pulling out his pen and unraveling policies critical to our national security, border security and immigration enforcement. From pausing deportations to halting border wall construction and ending the "Remain in Mexico" policy, the president slapped an "open" sign on our border -- during a global pandemic. Chastising commonsense policies that maintained the integrity of our territorial borders, while implementing sweeping executive actions to roll back these effective programs and policies, has reinvigorated irregular migration. We don't have to guess why they are coming. They have told us why. The very migrants who are traveling toward our southwest border and are poised to enter the country illegally have said in recent media interviews they were encouraged by Biden's rhetoric and relaxing of Trump era policies. We are already seeing frighteningly similar trends to those that led to the previous security and humanitarian crisis along the southwest border. Since October 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) monthly encounters are mirroring rates not seen since the lead-up to the peak of the 2019 border crisis. In fact, CBP currently encounters an average of 3,000 individuals a day. For context, Jeh Johnson, former secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama, said that during his tenure, 1,000 apprehensions a day was a "bad number." According to CBP, family unit apprehensions have more than quadrupled in just the past two weeks and are trending upward. Border patrol agents in Texas have already been forced to reimplement "catch-and-release" -- a sign of the seriousness of the surge. The practice of apprehending, issuing a notice to appear, and releasing into the interior of the country is a pull factor for individuals crossing the border illegally. On top of that, those being released haven't been tested for COVID-19. If this doesn't scream crisis, I am not sure what does. The situation at the border, combined with the raging pandemic, has created a perfect storm of security, humanitarian and public health concerns. Our dedicated law enforcement men and women on the front lines have been forced into an increasingly unsustainable situation. President Biden ran on politically expedient policies for his base of loosening border security and enforcement measures, aimed at simply putting distance between himself and his predecessor. Since the start of the Biden administration, more than 1,500 migrants have been released into border communities without any information on whether they had COVID-19. While Biden and his administration claim to prioritize the management of the pandemic, they are failing to see the very real public health crisis unfolding before them as a result of their own actions. As the United States grapples with managing COVID-19, many CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities are operating at less than 30% capacity due to the need for social distancing. This poses a significant public health issue as large groups of migrants are arriving at the border with notably high numbers of families with young children. Will they all be released? Our dedicated law enforcement men and women on the front lines have been forced into an increasingly unsustainable situation -- overwhelmed, with shrinking resources and elevated risk to their health and safety. The Biden administration talks of testing migrants arriving at the border in the future, yet nothing of ensuring a CBP and ICE personnel COVID-19 testing program is in place. Outstanding questions also remain about vaccine allocation to these frontline law enforcement officers. This is inequitable and wrong. The measures put in place by the Trump administration -- so quickly eradicated -- were implemented to relieve the situation at the border and address the crisis level irregular migration in 2019 due to immigration loopholes being exploited. Undoing them, especially during a pandemic, is an unforced error. What was a tragic humanitarian and national security crisis in 2019 is showing signs of a sequel, but this time with a public health crisis layered on top. While Americans are routinely told to shut down their businesses and stay home to combat the pandemic, we are sending the message to migrants to "come on in" without the knowledge of whether they pose a health or security risk. Moreover, as we are prioritizing taxpayer dollars toward getting Americans vaccinated and have already appropriated bipartisan funding for a previously agreed-upon border wall system, we should not risk being forced to divert future resources to clean up a preventable mess along the border. Enough is enough. I was joined by all House Homeland Security Republicans in making it very clear we are standing up to and calling out these misguided policies. These actions already have and will continue to have detrimental effects on our immigration system, border security and our country. This crisis could be preventable, but only if commonsense prevails. We are calling on President Biden to put politics aside, reevaluate his border and immigration policy rollbacks, and consider the consequences of any further actions that adversely impact border security and immigration policy. If he truly is interested in finding common ground, we stand ready to work with him to uphold strong border security and immigration policies that protect the health, safety and security of the United States. Otherwise, this humanitarian crisis will fall squarely on his shoulders.

By Rep. John Katko On January 12th, I announced my support for the article of impeachment against President Trump before the House of Representatives. At that moment, I was the only Republican Member of Congress to do so. I was elected to Congress in 2014, and am serving my 4th term. While a majority of voters in my Central New York district supported Secretary Clinton and Vice President Biden over President Trump, my district is home to some of President Trump's strongest supporters. Just two months ago, I voted for President Trump myself. For years I have truly heard from all sides. I respect and understand their views. The decision to impeach a sitting President that millions of Americans, including many of my constituents, voted for is one that I do not take lightly or enjoy. The Founders correctly established a very high bar for impeachment. I voted against the articles of impeachment previously brought against President Trump in 2019, because I found those charges politically motivated, and well beneath the high threshold established for impeachment. I have been vocal over the last 4 years when I disagreed with the President, but am not a "Never Trumper' nor am I part of "The Resistance.' I have simply tried to do my job in what we can all agree has been a tumultuous 4 years. On January 6th, the nation watched as insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol, threatening the safety of countless individuals and successfully disrupting, albeit temporarily, the certification of Electoral College results. In the midst of the attack, hundreds of Capitol Police officers heroically upheld their duty to defend the United States and protect those who work here. Many officers were severely injured and beaten. And tragically, one officer, Officer Brian Sicknick, lost his life as a result of the violence. There are many "process' reasons my colleagues cited for not supporting impeachment. There are only a few days left in his term; there has not been a full investigation; and a handful of others. Some in my party believe impeachment would only further divide the country and enrage the President's supporters. To those who have said this, I ask: what would they have done if President Obama held a rally on the National Mall that resulted in a brutal attack on the U.S. Capitol and in the death of 5 Americans? Would you have asked that we simply move on in the spirit of healing? I am a former federal prosecutor. That was my life's work before I ran for Congress. I dedicated my career to upholding the law, bringing lawbreakers to justice, and keeping people safe. We were presented with a vote on whether or not we think there is sufficient evidence to indict the President. As I always do, I looked only at the facts, not the politics. In the same politically unclouded process I used as a Federal Prosecutor, I came to the conclusion that the President's role in the insurrection was undeniable. Both on social media ahead of January 6th, and in his speech that day, he deliberately promoted baseless theories that created a combustible environment of misinformation and division. Our nation simply cannot function without the peaceful transfer of power and the recognition of carefully reviewed election results. To allow the President of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy and to our security. No one wishes to see our country heal and unite more than I do. Even after one of our darkest days, America remains the greatest nation on earth. I'm not only optimistic, but fully committed to the unity and healing we need. But, first we need to do our jobs. As Members of Congress, we take oaths to defend the Constitution regardless of political party -- because at times, it needs defending.

By Rep. John Katko For cities, towns, and villages in Central New York and across the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a devastating economic environment. Faced with declining tax revenues and staggering budgetary shortfalls, local governments are grappling with circumstances that threaten their ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain essential services for their constituencies. Congress passed the bipartisan CARES Act, which provided an initial $150 billion in supplemental assistance to help state and local governments combat the spread of COVID-19. However, many smaller governments were ineligible for direct assistance under the bill's population size criteria and as such, are reliant on state government to receive funding -- which they have yet to see. While it is not the role of Congress to fill existing state budgetary gaps, as we work now to consider an additional COVID-19 aid package, I believe we must work across party lines to develop a bipartisan bill that ensures local governments have access to appropriate levels of assistance, empowering every community to continue work to combat COVID-19 and recover from this pandemic. Many governments had to borrow and cut to enact annual budgets for the fiscal year that began July 1st. Municipalities are incurring unexpected additional costs to keep communities safe and healthy, while revenue collection slows due to delayed tax deadlines and sales, hotel and lodging, and other taxes fall as consumers stay home. These unprecedented revenue shortfalls are having a devastating cumulative effect on our economy. Federal Reserve officials recently warned that a "second wave' of COVID-19 this summer would lead to "a decrease in real GDP, a jump in the unemployment rate, and renewed downward pressure on inflation next year." A recent report by the National League of Cities projected that local governments are facing over $360 billion in lost revenues over the next three years due to the impact of COVID-19. For every one percent increase in unemployment, cities, towns, and villages are projected to experience an additional 3 percent loss in revenues. This year alone, U.S. cities are anticipating a revenue loss of at least $134 billion. In balancing these additional costs and revenue shortfalls, many city leaders are forced to make major cuts to their budgets right as our communities need their services the most. Thirty-three percent of cities indicate they will have to furlough or lay off more employees, adding to the already staggering 1.5 million job losses in the public sector since March. In May alone, 571,000 state and local government employees were laid off. Forty-two percent of cities have already or will institute a hiring freeze to respond to these fiscal pressures -- making it even harder for these workers to get their jobs back. Moreover, as an additional drag on our national economic recovery efforts, 65 percent of cities are delaying or canceling capital expenditures and infrastructure projects. Sixty-one percent of cities are delaying or canceling equipment purchases, while 13 percent are making cuts to code inspection, planning, and permitting. These numbers are particularly striking, given that 63 percent of mayors planned to prioritize infrastructure development in 2020 before the beginning of the pandemic. Cuts to infrastructure spending at this magnitude delay reopening and the growth of local businesses, stifle job growth, slow local economic activity, and further imperil our fragile nationwide economic recovery. With significant budgetary shortfalls stalling local COVID-19 relief efforts, Congress must work across party lines to deliver additional state and local funds. Failing to ensure all local governments have access to federal assistance will only prolong economic suffering and the health impacts of this pandemic. We need to act quickly and in a bipartisan manner to ensure cities, towns, and villages remain part of the solution in getting this public health crisis under control and putting our economy back on track.