Why I hate Congress: reason no. 14,786,391. And no, it’s not Rashida Tlaib
/
It’s Congress itself; although I also despise the lickspittle, gullible press that goes along with the charade. The members need to appear to be “doing something” about something, so they whoop up a sexy-sounding bill that “addresses” it: in this case, border security and drug cartels, and pass it (almost) unanimously. Then, having accomplished nothing, they settle back in their comfy chairs to return calls from their lobbyist/donors.
What, exactly will this bill do? It took some looking, and the Fox reporter, who’s no better nor worse than the rest of her fellow Swamp correspondents, doesn’t bother to say — doubtless because she was too lazy to look — but it’s simply an amendment to an existing law that already requires the CBP to file a report with Congress detailing its efforts to address the smugglers’ border tunnel network; this groundbreaking law (so to speak) changes the existing one to require an annual report, instead of just a one-off. That’s it. Sound and fury, signifying nothing, but the headlines, man, the headlines! I don’t know why our domestic terrorist Tlaib opposes it, but who cares? Perhaps she just refuses to engage in meaningless theater.
One of the few Democrats I’ve seen actually pretend to address the issue of Musk’s exposure of waste in government spending conceded that Musk was indeed performing a service by exposing the gambling going on in the casino, but complained, “he should be putting all this in a report and submitting it to Congress so that we can conduct proper, orderly hearings and investigations and draft appropriate legislation”. In other words, “so we can bury it forever and do nothing, just as we’ve done for the past five decades”.
Does anyone else remember William Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Awards? Given out monthly from 1975 to 1988, and called by the Washington Post “the most successful public relations device in politics today” each award exposed some ludicrous government expenditure — the $15,000 USAF hammer, identical to one Proxmire picked up at a hardware store around the corner for $2.50 was one of the most infamous of them — and got lots of giggles from his colleagues and vows to do better, and then disappeared down the rabbit hole, forever. Nothing has changed since Proxmire’s days; DOGE is just the latest incarnation of the Golden Fleece, and will meet the same end. Here’s the beginning of that process: Well, It’s Been Fun — Trump’s Commie Labor Pick Confirmed.
And that’s why I hate Congress.
The Subterranean Border Defense Act Would Help Congress Address Growing Threat of Cross-Border Tunneling
WASHINGTON — Today, Representatives Lou Correa (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee, and Eli Crane (R-AZ) introduced the Subterranean Border Defense Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that would require annual reports to Congress on efforts taking place to counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations.
“It’s clear that human traffickers and illegal drug smugglers have developed dynamic ways to evade capture—making it urgent and necessary that we adapt to defend against their attempts to breach our border,” said Rep. Correa. “I’m honored to be leading this bipartisan effort, alongside Rep. Crane, to help improve our efforts to counter these tunnels and those who rely on them, and protect the lives of those on both sides of our border.”
As Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) continue to expand 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. Since 1990, law enforcement officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border, with an 80% increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008. CBP dismantles cross-border tunnels as part of its overall border security and law enforcement missions.
“As terrorists, cartels, and smugglers develop new ways to infiltrate our country, the U.S. must stay on the cutting edge of security technology to protect our citizens and our infrastructure,” said Rep. Crane. “I’m proud to be able to champion one more deterrent on our southern border that will play a crucial role in keeping Arizonans safe.”
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 mandated that CBP submit a one-time report to Congress on a strategic plan for counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations. This report has since led Congress to conduct critical oversight and has enabled CBP to formalize many of the authorities, processes, technologies, and resources needed to counteract illegal underground tunnels under the U.S.-Mexico border. The Subterranean Border Defense Act would mandate a report every year going forward to ensure Congress has sufficient knowledge and oversight in regard to this dynamic threat.