READ: TJ’s op-ed in the Fresno Bee

Last week I spoke to workers at the federal prison in Mendota who are putting their lives on the line every day without pay. I heard from a corrections officer, a single mother of two and breast cancer survivor who is on medical leave — she’s struggling to provide for her family without her salary. Farmers have contacted me concerned about their businesses because the USDA closure means they can’t access loans and funding. One TSA agent I spoke to recently told me that “This shutdown is a waste of time — my time.”

Let’s be honest, if the president was truly concerned about border security, he wouldn’t be forcing thousands of border patrol agents, TSA agents, and other federal law enforcement personnel to show up to work, not knowing when they’ll see another paycheck. Instead, the president has plunged us back into another political crisis so he can score points with his base and conservative talk-show hosts.

I’m happy to sit down with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work on securing our ports of entry, investing in 21st century camera and surveillance technologies, and to pay our border agents a competitive wage. These are real, concrete policies that will help secure our border and stop the flow of illegal drugs through our ports.

“TJ Cox: We need real border security now, but the border wall is not it” Fresno Bee Jan. 11th, 2019

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