My Letter to Lamar Alexander

My letter to Senator Lamar Alexander, who is voting against President Trump's emergency declaration at the border: I am so disappointed and saddened that you will be voting to keep the border open for drug and human traffickers to operate in this country unimpeded. And make no mistake, that's what you are voting for when you vote against the president's emergency declaration on the U.S./Mexico border. I am in the process of moving back to my native state of Tennessee, but have spent the past 8 years on the New Mexico border. I know you are retiring, and if you weren't I would be voting against you in your next run for office. I registered to vote in the 1970s when you wore a plaid flannel shirt and drove a pickup across the state to run for governor, convincing me and others you were for the people of this state. I have also voted for you for the Senate several times before moving to New Mexico eight years ago. I realize you are no longer the man who convinced me you were for the people. You are a D.C. insider who could care less about the people who elected you. The 76,000 illegals who crossed the border in in New Mexico in February (and are still coming in droves) are just the ones the Border Patrol took into custody. There are thousands more, mostly violent criminals who have been deported repeatedly, and human and drug smugglers, sneaking across daily with impunity, because the Border Patrol is too busy nursing sick people and taking care of unaccompanied minors to pursue them. You and your cohorts in D.C. have allowed this travesty to be put upon the American people too long. In New Mexico, these violent and illegal gang members kill someone almost daily now in Albuquerque. Your chances of having a vehicle stolen here are higher than anywhere in the nation. But they are not not staying in New Mexico, because there are no jobs here, and very few resources. They are headed to Tennessee and other states. How can you sleep at night knowing you are doing this to the people who entrusted you to govern their lives? I just hope these illegals end up being your neighbor. Of course you probably have made enough money in D.C. to put a wall around your property. I truly am disappointed and ashamed of you. When I return to Tennessee in April, I will be politically active in ensuring whoever you recommend to replace you does not get elected, and become another spineless coward like you have become. It is truely a sad day for this country, and especially for Tennessee. My extended family is there and they all support Trump's efforts to stop this invasion by violent criminals who could care less about our laws. Yes, there is a crisis at the U.S./Mexico border, and I have seen it firsthand while living in New Mexico. And it will become Tennessee's problem very soon. You can rest assured most Tennesseans will remember this as your signature achievement.

Here’s the e mail reply to my critical e mail to Senator Alexander......

“Thanks for getting in touch with me and letting me know what’s on your mind regarding border security and immigration.

On February 15, 2019, President Trump announced a national emergency at our Southern border. I support the President on border security. The last four presidents—Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush—working with Congress, built 654 miles of physical barrier along our almost 2,000 mile southern border before President Trump came into office. For 20 years, members of Congress have known that a comprehensive border security plan includes more personnel, more technology, and more physical barrier. President Trump is asking for about 234 more miles of physical barrier as part of a comprehensive plan. That would not build a wall from shining sea to shining sea, as he said. It would simply do what we’ve been wanting to do for 20 years.

I have urged him to build the 234 miles of border wall he has asked for in the fastest possible way by using $5.7 billion already approved by Congress. His emergency declaration to take an additional $3.6 billion that Congress has appropriated for military hospitals, barracks, and schools goes against the U.S. Constitution that I swore an oath to support and defend. On March 14, 2019, I voted to disapprove of the national emergency declaration because I believe it is unnecessary, unwise, and inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution.

It is unnecessary because Congress has already approved the additional funds the president requested in his January 6, 2019, letter to the Senate to build the 234 miles of wall he needs. In fact, the president announced on February 15 that he would spend $3 billion of this additional funding to fund construction of the border wall. This $3 billion is in addition to the $22 billion Congress appropriated on February 14, 2019, for detention beds, technology, border patrol agents, ports of entry, replacing existing wall and 55 miles of new wall. By using these already approved funds, the president does not need to take money from military construction projects for barracks or hospitals and avoids months or years of litigation, which could make it unlikely the full 234 miles are ever built.

It is unwise because if President Trump can build a wall when Congress has refused to provide the funding, then the next president can declare a national emergency to tear the wall down. There has never been an instance where a president has asked for funding, Congress has not provided it, and the president then used the National Emergencies Act to justify spending the money anyway. Already, Democrat presidential candidates are saying they would declare emergencies to tear down the existing border wall, take away guns, stop oil exports, shut down offshore drilling and other leftwing enterprises—all without the approval of Congress.

It is inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution because, after the American Revolution against a king, our founders chose not to create a chief executive with the power to tax the people and spend their money any way he chooses. The Constitution gives that authority exclusively to a Congress elected by the people.

I believe that Congress must continue to work with the president to secure the border in a thoughtful, cost-effective way. Our immigration system is broken, and it is the constitutional responsibility of Congress to fix it. Immigration and border security are not issues that the state and local governments can solve, and I will continue to work for the people of Tennessee in solving these issues. I’ll be sure to keep your comments in mind as these issues are discussed and debated in Washington and in Tennessee.

Sincerely,
Lamar”

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