Mid City Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On August 9, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25) released a statement after joining twenty Congressmen and Congresswomen in signing an amicus brief relating to the lawsuit against the State of Texas’ buoy system at our southern border.

“Let us be very clear, this is about the safety of Texans and all Americans,” said Congressman Roger Williams. “Texans can no longer afford to wait on the Biden Administration to take this crisis seriously and implement policies to secure our southern border. Placing the enormous burden of defending our nation's borders solely on Texas should not be justified. Texas policies and initiatives have proven to be effective in slowing this invasion of our country. If the Biden Administration is not going to help, then they need to get out of the way. Texans must be allowed to protect our state and nation and safeguard American lives."  

Read the full brief here.

Background:

In July of 2023, Texas placed a series of buoys in the Rio Grande River to encourage migrants to cross the border at points of entry rather than crossing the river illegally. The United States Department of Justice responded with a lawsuit, alleging that those buoys were un-permitted obstructions to navigable waters in violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act and must be removed.

The brief, filed by Congressman Jody Arrington, R – Lubbock, highlights that the Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA) does not give President Biden’s Department of Justice the standing to sue Texas, clarifying that the Supreme Court has ruled the government must present evidence that a body of water is used for navigable purposes under the commerce clause. Without such proof, the federal government does not have jurisdiction to regulate the buoys pursuant to the Rivers and Harbors Act.

Co-signers include Representatives Pfluger, Burgess, Babin, Biggs, Gooden, Van Duyne, Ellzey, Buchanan, Roy, Moran, Rouzer, Sessions, Jackson, Graves, Higgins, Cloud, Self, J. Carter, J. Duncan, and Cammack.

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Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas.

Original source can be found here.