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Congressman opposes students' loan forgiveness, bill builds the wall

Rep. Duncan (R-3rd-Laurens) Re-introduces TELL Act to Protect American Data from the Chinese Communist Party

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Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, Congressman Jeff Duncan introduced six pieces of legislation to continue his work for the American people to secure the southern border and enforce our nation’s immigration laws. This legislative package helps combat the national security crisis that has resulted from Joe Biden’s lax immigration policy and an open southern border, with over 4.5 million illegal border crossings since Joe Biden took office.

“Our nation is being invaded at our southern border due to open border policies and a lack of enforcement. The southern border crisis threatens our national security, and we have no idea who is in our country due to the surge of illegal immigration since Joe Biden took office,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “Border security is national security, and I am confident my immigration legislative package will begin to take necessary steps to combat the southern border crisis and safeguard our national security.”  

 

  • No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act: Precludes illegal aliens from receiving Social Security benefits.

Quote: “Social Security is only a few years away from insolvency, and the immigration crisis jeopardizes it even more,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “My legislation will put Social Security on more secure footing by ensuring that illegal immigrants do not take benefits from hardworking American citizens who have spent their lifetimes paying into the system. This also stops one of the government benefit magnets that attract illegal immigrants. No illegal alien should profit off of coming here illegally.”

Background: This legislation is supported by the Secure America Alliance, NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Act for America.

  • Terrorist Deportation Act (117th: H.R. 89; 116th: H.R. 146; 115th: H.R. 844; 114th: H.R. 6175): Allows for the deportation of any alien, except for legal permanent residents, listed by law enforcement in the Terrorist Screening Database (from which the “No-Fly List” is derived).

Quote: “No one on the Terrorist Screening Database or ‘No-Fly List’ should be allowed in our country and threatening our national security,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan.  “If you’re dangerous enough for law enforcement to put you in the terrorist screening database, and you aren’t a citizen, and we are considering not allowing you to get on a plane, why are you allowed in our country at all? This legislation gives law enforcement an extra tool to keep Americans safe by deporting those who may seek our harm.”

 

Background: This legislation first originated when President Obama and House Democrats floated the idea of stopping potential terrorists from purchasing guns, the so-called “No Fly, No Buy” provision, and Congressman Duncan went a different direction to not allow them to remain a threat to the country in any capacity (“No Fly, Good Bye”).  At least 38 terror watchlist arrests have taken place at the southern border in FY’23, alone, which is likely only a fraction of the terrorists who have surged into our nation undetected.  The bill is supported by NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Act for America.

  • BUILD WALL Act (Build up Illegal Line Defenses with Assets Lawfully Lifted Act) (117th: H.R. 88; S.25 – Cruz): Allows for the U.S. to use funds taken from the cartels to be spent on building the wall on the U.S./Mexico border.

Quote: “Our nation is being invaded, and every state is now a border state because our southern border is wide open. Any serious effort to secure our southern border and safeguard our national security begins with the completion of the southern border wall,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “My bill allows funds confiscated by the Mexican drug cartels and human traffickers to be transferred to the construction of the southern border barrier to safeguard our nation and stop the invasion at our southern border.”

Background: The Trump Administration completed over 450 miles of the southern border wall before the Biden Administration halted further construction. There are around 1,300 remaining miles of border between the U.S. and Mexico where a secure barrier does not exist. This legislation allows for up to half of the funds confiscated by law enforcement from drug and human trafficking operations to be diverted to wall construction. This legislation is supported by NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Act for America.

  • FTO Passport Revocation (117th: H.R. 86; 116th: H.R. 145): Allows for the revocation of any passport belonging to someone who has been designated a member of a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Quote: “If you leave our great country to join our enemies, you shouldn’t be able to return to attack our citizens,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “This legislation would allow the Secretary of State to revoke a passport for anyone who has aided, assisted, abetted, or helped a foreign terrorist organization, in order to prevent future acts of terrorism from occurring on American soil.”

 

Background: In 2015, the FBI estimated that over 200 Americans traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to join ISIS. This is in addition to homegrown al Qaeda terrorists like Adam Gadahn and others.  This legislation would simply revoke the passports of individuals who have been found to have joined a foreign terrorist organization, to prevent them from returning to the United States to commit terrorist acts. This legislation is supported by NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Act for America.

  • Visa Overstay Enforcement (117th: H.R. 90; 116th: H.R. 147): Imposes penalties on aliens who overstay legal immigration status, including potential fines, imprisonment, and being disallowed from returning.

Quote: “Many of the illegal aliens in our country originally came here legally but have overstayed their immigration status and are now considered illegal,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “If someone breaks the law and is here illegally, there should be consequences. This bill ensures that those who fail to follow the law are punished accordingly and prevented from returning to our country. Living in the United States is a privilege, not a universal right.”

 

Background: The 2020 Entry Overstay Report said there were 584,885 Suspected In-Country Overstays at the end of FY2020. Click HERE for the latest available report on visa overstays. This legislation is supported by NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Act for America.

  • Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities (117th: H.R. 94; 116th: H.R. 153): Penalizes sanctuary cities by making them ineligible for federal funds.

Quote: “Sanctuary cities are breeding grounds for illegal activity and crime. Time and time and time again, we see crimes committed by illegal aliens in cities where political leadership does not cooperate with federal immigration officials,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “It is time for these cities to pay the price for the decisions they make that endanger American citizens.  The message is clear – you can only enjoy the benefits of federal funding only if you cooperate with federal immigration officials and respect our nation’s laws.”

Background: For more information on sanctuary cities, click HERE and HERE. This legislation is supported by NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Act for America.

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Rep. Duncan Re-introduces TELL Act to Protect American Data from the Chinese Communist Party

Washington, D.C.— On Thursday, Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03) and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) introduced H.R. 742, the TELL Act (Telling Everyone the Location of Data Leaving the US Act), to protect American data from the Chinese Communist Party.

This legislation allows the Federal Trade Commission to endorse rules that allow Americans to know if their data has been compromised by China and if it is being stored, transferred, or exposed to China or companies owned by the Chinese Communist Party. Failing to disclose this information or providing false information will result in civil fines from the FTC. Congressman Duncan previously introduced this legislation as H.R. 3991 in 2021. Click HERE for Congressman Duncan’s Committee remarks in 2021 on the TELL Act.

“The Chinese Communist Party has consistently proven to be untrustworthy and an enemy of the American people. It is absolutely necessary for us to take steps to ensure Americans’ personal data is not jeopardized by the CCP,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “The TELL Act will hold Communist China accountable and send a powerful message that they can no longer exploit our security or harvest American data.”

“The TELL Act pushes back against China’s use of state-controlled entities to infringe on Americans’ data privacy and takes necessary steps to safeguard data security while hindering the CCP,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan. “Holding Big Tech and China accountable is a top priority of mine this Congress, and this legislation takes important steps to accomplish this. I am grateful for the Energy and Commerce Committee’s leadership on this issue and am optimistic this legislation will pass the finish line in the House with bipartisan support this Congress.”

 

“The American people should not be at risk for exploitation by China or CCP state aligned companies mining their data. In the 21st century, we have to ensure that our people know who has access to their data, and actively work to safeguard protections defending personal information from our adversaries,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. “This legislation will help strengthen consumer protection and allow the American public to know if their data has been compromised by China or Chinese state owned companies.”

Foxx, Duncan Lead Amicus Brief on Biden’s Student Loan Scheme

Washington, D.C.—On Friday, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC) led 126 House Republicans in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in the upcoming case considering the Biden administration’s student loan bailout, which exploits legislation drafted in the wake of September 11, 2001, meant to assist service members and veterans.

Chairwoman Foxx said: “The Biden administration’s student loan bailout is a political gambit engineered by special interest groups; abusing the HEROES Act for such a ploy is shameful. Moreover, this administration is bypassing Congress, which is elected by the American people to protect their interests. Congress is the only body with the authority to enact sweeping and fundamental changes of this nature, and it is ludicrous for President Biden to assume he can simply bypass the will of the American people.”

Representative Duncan said: “The Biden Administration does not have the authority to unilaterally ‘forgive’ student loan debt across the board, and attempting to do so is nothing more than a political maneuver. This exploits the original intention of the HEROES Act of 2003, oversteps the authority of Congress, undermines the will of the American people, and would send the country further into a debt spiral. The Court should invalidate the Secretary of Education’s sweeping student loan forgiveness program since it trespasses on Congressional authority and violates the separation of powers.”

Jennifer Mascott, Assistant Professor and Co-Executive Director of The C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State at the Antonin Scalia Law School said: "The Gray Center's Separation of Powers Clinic was pleased with the opportunity for Scalia Law School students and Clinic Director Trent McCotter to represent Members of Congress in this case addressing core questions of statutory interpretation and the exercise of governmental power."

Other Members signing onto the brief include: Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler, Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer, Conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson, Conference Secretary Lisa McClain, Joe Wilson, Glenn Thompson, Tim Walberg, Glenn Grothman, Rick W. Allen, James Comer, Jim Banks, Lloyd Smucker, Burgess Owens, Bob Good, Mary E. Miller, Michelle Steel, Ron Estes, Julia Letlow, Kevin Kiley, Aaron Bean, Eric Burlison, Nathaniel Moran, John James, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Brandon Williams, Erin Houchin, Mike Rogers, Ann Wagner, Randy K. Weber, Jake Ellzey, Alexander X. Mooney, Austin Scott, Jodey C. Arrington, Ashley Hinson, William R. Timmons IV, Ralph Norman, Vern Buchanan, Warren Davidson, Mike Flood, Chuck Edwards, John R. Moolenaar, Mike Bost, Rudy Yakym III, Harriet M. Hageman, John H. Rutherford, Mike Kelly, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D., Ronny Jackson, August Pfluger, Morgan Luttrell, Richard McCormick M.D., M.B.A., Andy Biggs, Claudia Tenney, Jason Smith, Andrew S. Clyde, Drew A. Ferguson IV, Roger Williams, Michael V. Lawler, Kevin Hern, Ken Calvert, Michelle Fischbach, Andy Barr, Lauren Boebert, Max L. Miller, Don Bacon, Earl L. "Buddy" Carter, Michael Waltz, Dan Bishop, Gregory F. Murphy M.D., Brad Finstad, Larry Bucshon, M.D., Mario Diaz-Balart, Brian Babin, D.D.S., Mike Ezell, Tom McClintock, Dan Meuser, Eric A. "Rick" Crawford, Steve Womack, Barry Moore, Pete Stauber, Brett Guthrie, Michael Guest, John Rose, Brad R. Wenstrup, Scott Perry, Kat Cammack, Greg Pence, Troy E. Nehls, Mike Garcia, French J. Hill, Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S., Robert B. Aderholt, Scott DesJarlais, Dan Crenshaw, Mark Alford, Beth Van Duyne, Tim Burchett, Bruce Westerman, Gus M. Bilirakis, Barry Loudermilk, Nick LaLota, Ben Cline, Andrew Ogles, Dale W. Strong, Jerry L. Carl, Garret Graves, Robert J. Wittman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Michael Burgess, M.D., Jay Obernolte, Jake LaTurner, Randy Feenstra, Carlos Antonio Gimenez, Robert E. Latta, Diana Harshbarger, Byron Donalds, Anthony D'Esposito, Bill Posey, Nicholas A. Langworthy, Daniel Webster, Lance Gooden, Jim Jordan, and Mark E. Green.

Full text of the brief is available here.

Background: House Republicans repeatedly expressed concerns about the authority of the Secretary of Education and the Biden administration to enact widespread student loan debt cancelations. The Biden administration is exploiting language in the 2003 HEROES Act to waive the student loans of millions of Americans who do not qualify.


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More from Congressman Jeff Duncan at the office's website.