Washington, DC – Today, upon being sworn into the 115^th Congress, U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) sent a letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump highlighting shared policy solutions to protect American citizens from our reckless United Nations-led refugee program and weak immigration policies.

“I want to bring to your attention three bills I have championed in the 114^th Congress and am reintroducing today that deal with the most solemn and important duty of the federal government: protection of the homeland and our people,” the letter states.  “While these bills enjoyed solid support from many of my colleagues and, if public polling is to be believed, a strong majority of the American people, they unfortunately did not receive a committee hearing or a vote in the House of Representatives.  I am hopeful that with your help and support, as well as the mandate represented by your election victory, that will not be the case in the 115^th Congress.” 

The letter can be read here and below:

January 3, 2017

President-elect Donald J. Trump
Trump Tower
721 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Dear Mr. President-elect:

Please accept my most heartfelt and sincere congratulations on your historic victory in the November election. As a strong and vocal supporter of your campaign throughout the election cycle, I could not be more proud to call you our next Commander-in-Chief. As you have said many times, this was not just a victory for your campaign, but for the entire movement which you have led as a candidate, the nominee of our party, and soon as the next President of the United States.  The American People elected you to make our country safe, strong and great again, and I pledge my support to turn your agenda into real results. 

To that end, I want to bring to your attention three bills I have championed in the 114^th Congress and am reintroducing today that deal with the most solemn and important duty of the federal government: protection of the homeland and our people.  While these bills enjoyed solid support from many of my colleagues and, if public polling is to be believed, a strong majority of the American people, they unfortunately did not receive a committee hearing or a vote in the House of Representatives.  I am hopeful that with your help and support, as well as the mandate represented by your election victory, that will not be the case in the 115^th Congress. 

I have prepared a summary of these bills and why I believe they are a perfect fit for your agenda.  Also, enclosed with this letter is a copy of these bills and their cosponsors, as well as various articles and letters of support.

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT REFORM

H.R. 3314 – Refugee Resettlement National Security Act of 2015
Introduced July 30, 2015 | 89 Cosponsors

H.R. 3314 institutes a total and complete shutdown of the admission of refugees into the United States, until Congress passes a joint resolution giving the appropriate federal agencies the authority to resume those admissions.  The bill also requires a full audit by the Government Accountability Office of the social welfare costs to federal, state and local governments of refugees who are relocated into American communities.  The Congress would also have conducted its own review of the safety and national security concerns.

H.R. 5816 - Resettlement Accountability National Security Prioritization Act of 2016
Introduced July 30, 2015 | 49 Cosponsors

H.R. 5816 prohibits the admission of prospective immigrants from the terrorist hot spots of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, or Yemen (or for “stateless” peoples who have spent significant time in these countries) into the United States for four years, unless Congress passes a joint resolution giving the Department of Homeland Security authority to admit them.

CRIMINAL ALIEN DEPORTATIONS

H.R. 5224 - Criminal Alien Deportation Enforcement Act of 2016
Introduced May 30, 2016 | 52 Cosponsors (bipartisan support)

H.R. 5224 prohibits financial assistance to a foreign country that refuses or unreasonably delays the acceptance of one of their citizens who has been ordered to be deported from the United States.

One of your predecessors, a great man named Ronald Reagan famously said, “there is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.” I am fully committed to working with the leadership of the House and Senate, the relevant committees of jurisdiction, as well as your team at the White House to craft legislation you can sign into law that will address these and other critical national security challenges.

But I would also note that President Reagan encouraged us to work under a banner of “no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people.” On this issue, Mr. President-elect, I believe the American People want and expect us to lead boldly and not pass watered down half-measures that only trim around the edges of these great threats to our society and way of life. While there are many important steps you can take unilaterally as President to address the porous borders, failed immigration policies and dangerous refugee program, I believe it is critically important that we also enact into law as many of these reforms as possible to protect these important changes from the whims of future Presidents.

It is a great honor to be the Congressman for the 36th District of Texas, but it is second to being a citizen and a father and grandfather who wants you to succeed in keeping my family and our country safe. I am blessed with the opportunity to help you achieve those goals in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with you every step of the way.

God Bless America.

Sincerely,

Brian Babin
Member of Congress (TX-36)