Being a freshman congressperson is challenging. You have to worry about operating within the physical DC environment, learning the ropes of Congressional operations, and establishing your constituent office(s)…among many, many other concerns. Which is why if a new representative has skills in a particular area, it can really help to have that knowledge to confront questions/concerns that arise soon after taking office. So when the issue of border security funding came to the forefront this past week with President Trump’s request for national security funding for immigration and border security needs, the 7th district should expect that newly-seated representative Abigail Spanberger should knock the issue out of the park. After all, one of her purported key traits that she brings to office is the experience gained during her service in the CIA working national security concerns.

And she fell flat on her face immediately.

You would think that the non-controversial request (details at bottom of page) for border security funding, especially the small amount requested, would be easy to support. The border funding is even something that her law enforcement brothers and sisters in the US Customs and Border agency agree is needed, but Spanberger has decided to stand with Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and the rest of democratic party leadership, instead of supporting the American people. Calls to Spanberger’s DC office on Friday seeking her official position on erecting border barriers resulted in her office stating that “No, she will not be support building the wall”. So much for being “strong on national security”, because border patrol officials, and government officials where walls currently are in-place all strongly indicate that physical barriers absolutely work.

Apparently aligning with party leadership is easier than doing the right thing.

We believe that that its important to provide feedback to our representatives regarding how they are voting in Congress. To reinforce to Rep. Spanberger that border security is important to you and your families, We ask that you call her office at (202) 225-2815 to indicate that you are watching her votes and expect her to act responsibly to protect the American people. Then share this post with your friends and family who also believe that securing US borders is important. Let us join together so that she will hear our collective voice loudly and strongly!

Petition Link

Show Your Support for Border Security

Tell Abigail Spanberger that border security is important, and that its not acceptable to play political games with the safety and sovereignty of American citizens!
Petition Link

Critically Important Facts to Share

When we are discussing this issue in person, online, or over the phone with friends, family, or Congressional staffers, we must make the following point: Contrary to what you may think based on reporting from the leftist media, President Trump has not limited his request to funding for a border wall. Rather, he has asked for funding to implement a broad approach that incorporates ideas from Border Patrol and the Democrats. It’s an approach that addresses many of the security problems America faces right now.

People who say they oppose the wall (but who really just oppose President Trump in general) have been trying to argue that a wall is not the answer because there are other security needs, but this is a false argument because supporters of the wall – and the President himself – have called for a much broader set of solutions. Be sure to tell people that the President has requested:

  • A steel barrier (i.e. a wall, a fence, etc.) that provides visibility, as requested by Border Patrol, so that they can see what is happening on the other side of the wall (Ask: $5.7 billion funding construction of steel barrier for 234 miles of a new physical barrier).
  • 750 additional border patrol agents to keep our borders safe and secure (Ask: $211 million).
  • 2,000 additional law enforcement personnel and support staff who will enforce immigration laws, combat gang violence, and stop drug smuggling and human traffickers (Ask: $571 million).
  • 52,000 detention beds to address the needs of the influx of border crossers
  • Enhanced medical support, consumable supplies, transportation, and additional temporary facilities to process and ensure the well-begin and short-term custody of border crossers. (Combined ask for detention beds, personnel, transportation, and detention alternatives: $4.2 billion).
  • Technology at ports of entry to detect narcotics, weapons, and other materials that pose a threat to the United States (Ask: $675 million).
  • 75 additional immigration judges and support staff to reduce the backlog of pending immigration cases (Ask: at least $563 million).
  • Method or system to allow people to apply for asylum from their home countries to reduce family separations and the dangers migrants encounter on the journey, so they may stay in their own homes as they await a determination on asylum.