Congressman Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, announced that he is an original cosponsor of Republican New Mexico Congresswoman Yvette Herrell’s “Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry from COVID-19 Act” of 2021.
Brooks, who represents Alabama’s 5th Congressional District, said this bill preserves existing entry restrictions measures recommended by the CDC until state and federal lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews and the like end, and the COVID-19 threat is behind us. Democratic President Joe Biden had halted deportations and the border security enhancements implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration.
“The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a COVID-19 pandemic order barring entry of non-citizens so long as the COVID-19 risk is high,” Brooks said. “This bill empowers the CDC Director to continue suspension of entry into America of non-citizens so long as the CDC director determines open borders creates an unnecessary, dangerous public health risk to America. Hopefully, suspensions and limitations on non-citizen border crossings will end once COVID-19 is behind us. In the meantime, following CDC restrictions is a smart move that saves American lives.”
“Unfortunately, this legislation is needed to counter the efforts of open borders advocates who seek to prematurely reverse CDC-recommended law that currently minimizes the COVID-19 risk to American lives,” Brooks said. “To date, over 421,000 Americans with COVID-19 have died. While vaccine distribution is underway, America isn’t out of the woods yet. Sensible precautions, such as limiting non-citizen travel from other countries, are prudent and necessary to save lives and reduce COVID-19 spread. I support keeping travel restrictions in place and oppose any efforts by the Biden Administration to put American lives at risk by prematurely lifting the CDC order.”
With 153,639 reported COVID-19 deaths, Mexico trails only the U.S., Brazil and India.
“In New Mexico and across the U.S., draconian lockdowns have been imposed in the name of ‘slowing the spread’ of COVID-19,” Herrell explained. “Until the lockdowns and emergency declarations have ended, border health protections must remain in place to prevent the introduction of new cases and new strains of the virus at our borders.”
The bill has the support of influential conservative groups including NumbersUSA, Federation for American Immigration Reform and Heritage Action.
“It is absolutely critical, as this pandemic continues, that the protections put into place by Executive Branch agencies under the last administration are kept in place,” said Rosemary Jenks, the director of government relations for NumbersUSA. “Americans have enough challenges trying to find or maintain employment and keep themselves and their families healthy without having to worry whether the Biden administration is allowing potentially infected foreigners into the United States to worsen the risk for all of us.”
RJ Hauman is the head of government relations for the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform.
“Since March, most people caught entering the U.S. illegally have been quickly expelled under a Trump administration policy that invoked CDC emergency powers due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hauman. “Under the Title 42 order, officials have expelled 393,807 illegal aliens along the U.S.-Mexico border. As Rep. Herrell recognizes, it is absolutely essential that this protection remains in place — not only for the good of her border district, but the nation as a whole.”
“The Pause Act is a common sense bill that calls on the Executive Branch to continue focusing on protecting Americans,” Jenks added. “NumbersUSA commends Representative Herrell for introducing it and calls on all Members of Congress to support it.”
Congressman Jerry Carl, R-Mobile, is also a cosponsor of Herrell’s legislation.
