From his perch on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., visited the Rio Grande Valley to inspect security on the border with Mexico, calling for more focus on it.
Rutherford was part of a congressional delegation earlier this month which included U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Other members of the delegation included U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., who chairs the House Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee.
McCaul stressed the importance of the border with Mexico and why security needed to be ramped up there.
“Illegal immigrants, drug cartels, and terrorists are actively attempting to infiltrate our country, so it is vital that we quickly secure our border, enforce immigration laws, and eliminate gaps in security screening,” McCaul said last week.
Rutherford also weighed in on the matter.
“For far too long, the U.S. has failed to dedicate the resources and effort needed to secure our southern border,” Rutherford said on Friday. “As Congress works with the Trump administration to gain operational control of the border, this first-hand visit to the border allows my congressional colleagues and me to better understand the personnel, infrastructure and technology needs on the ground. Securing our southern border is a complex, but achievable, challenge. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Committee on Homeland Security to commit the resources and strategy needed to achieve control of our southern border and to stop illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. I appreciate the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and my congressional colleagues for joining me in the effort to stem the tide of illegal immigration at the border.”
A career law enforcement officer who served three terms as sheriff of Duval County, Rutherford was first elected to Congress last year, replacing longtime U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., who retired that year. Despite being a freshman, Rutherford has made his mark on the Homeland Security Committee.
McCaul turned to Rutherford on another matter earlier this year, choosing the First Coast Republican to serve on the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States. Rutherford, who also sits on the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee and Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee, is one of five Republicans who joined three Democrats on the new task force. The First Coast congressman is the only member of the Florida delegation on the task force which is led by U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc.
Rutherford also spearheaded a proposal giving Congress far more oversight of wasteful spending in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which had McCaul’s support. The House passed that bill without opposition last month.
