The House of Representatives passed the Subterranean Border Defense Act (H.R. 495) which will require an annual report given to Congress on cross-border cartel smuggling tunnels. The report to Congress will be required from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the actions and activities by cartels relating to their tunnels used for human and drug smuggling, as well as what actions have been taken by U.S. authorities to stop them.
The bill passed the House Monday with a vote of 402-1. The single no vote came from none other than Pro-Palestinian ‘Squad’ member, Democrat Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. “I thought for sure everyone was gonna vote yes on my bill this evening,” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) posted on X following the vote. “402-1 is still pretty solid though.”
Two Democrats co-sponsored the bill, including Luis Correa of California, who also spoke on the bill, saying, “I believe this bill is an important step in the right direction.” The second Democrat co-sponsor is Representative Laura Gillen of New York’s 4th District. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
“Since 1990, officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the border, with an 80% increase in tunnel activity since 2008,” Crane said on the House floor. “As transnational criminal organizations continue to grow in both size and sophistication, illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security.”
Breitbart News reports that “no one spoke against the bill. In a rare bipartisan moment, 194 Democrats joined 208 Republicans in voting for the bill. The undervote came as ten Republicans and 19 Democrats abstained from voting. Tlaib cast the only ‘Nay.”
Breitbart also published the members who are listed as co-sponsors of the bill:
- Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
- Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
- Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9]
- Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]
- Luttrell, Morgan [R-TX-8]
- Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5]
- Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]
- Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
