The Hill Report: Week of September 19 - 23, 2016

This morning I sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson addressing the September 8, 2016report issued by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General that documented repeated lack of coordination, information sharing, and prioritization of the security of our nation and the integrity of our naturalization process. Last week's disturbing reportshined light on the failure of this Administration to effectively enforce our immigration laws. It is completely unacceptable to fraudulently grant the rights and liberties that come with a U.S. citizenship to 1,800 virtually unknown individuals. We don't know what countries they are from, we don't have any of their biometric data, and we simply don't know anything about these individuals.  This Administration's glaring lack of judgment has made a mockery of our immigration system and jeopardized our national security. I will continue to push for answers and hold this Administration accountable for their irresponsible actions.

Congressman Sessions on Neil Cavuto discussing his letter to Secretary Johnson. Watch the full clip here

Legislation in the House 
This week I joined my colleagues in supporting two measures that take a strong stand against Iran’s continued acts of corruption. The first measure H.R.  5461, the Iranian Leadership Transparency Act, would require the Secretary of the Treasury to develop and post the funds and assets held by senior Iranian political and military leaders online. As the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran’s corruption stems from the top with high level Iranian political and military leaders controlling almost one-third of their total economy. This startling reality enables their security forces, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, access to a mass amount of funds to support their terrorist activities. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this dangerous situation. It is imperative that we have a clear understanding of the financial status of the power players in Iran and shine the light on their continued acts of corruption.

The second measure, H.R. 5931, the Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act, prohibit all cash payments to Iran, and demands transparency on any future settlements with them to ensure they are not used to pay ransom. The entire world looks to the United States to be the adult in the room and to stand strong in the face of terror. That is why we have a long standing policy of never negotiating with terrorists - until now. President Obama's unilateral decision to pay ransom to the largest state sponsor of terrorism is completely irresponsible and will only embolden terrorists to hold Americans hostage. This sets a dangerous precedent that must be corrected immediately. As Americans, we will never ever negotiate with terrorists and today's bill will ensure that by prohibiting any cash payments to Iran.

Meetings with Texans  
Texas Department of Transportation 
On Wednesday I was delighted to meet with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Commissioner Bruce Bugg to receive a briefing on the Texas Clear Lanes Initiative. One of Governor Abbott's key projects, the TCL initiative is a statewide strategic plan to provide congestion relief on our roads and highways. Specifically in Dallas, TxDOT has allocated roughly $364 million, or 28% of the overall TCL resources, toward the construction of new and improved roads and highways. As people continue to move to Texas and our region expands, it is vital we keep our highways open for business, ensure safer travel for Americans, and streamline approval for vital infrastructure projects. I am also proud to see Texas has achieved this in a fiscally responsible and fully paid for manner. As we move forward, I will continue to work with Commissioner Bugg and his TxDOT team to modernize our transportation infrastructure for the benefit of all North Texans.

Southwestern Division U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
Later on Wednesday I met the new senior civilian for the Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Mark Mazzanti. Based in Dallas, Mr. Mazzanti will have staff leadership over a number of important Army Corp projects currently in progress including the permitting and construction of the Bois d'Arc Creek reservoir and the Lake Lewisville Dam reinforcement. In the meeting, I passed along my concerns regarding timelines and construction costs and offered to provide any support that the USACE may need during the completion of their work. I look forward to working closely with Mr. Mazzanti and the Army Corp as we continue to deliver the vital public and military engineering services that help our region grow.

Frontier Communications 
As major employer in Richardson's high tech corridor, I was pleased to visit with Frontier Communications' Texas team in Washington this week. Frontier provides voice, data and video services to rural areas and small and medium-sized towns and cities. They play a pivotal role in expanding broadband availability and thus economic development and educational opportunities. I'm also proud of the work that Frontier is doing to support of military veterans and their spouses. Veterans, reservists, and their spouses comprise 13 percent of their workforce and they have been named a Top 100 Military Friendly Employer for the third year in a row.