Rep. Bob Good: House passed the best border bill sitting in Senate

Rep. Bob Good is the incoming chair of the House Freedom Caucus
He called the border crisis 'the greatest harm ever done intentionally'
CBP: December sees 37,000 more migrant encounters than in November

Updated: Dec 18, 2023 / 06:18 PM CST

(NewsNation) — Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., the incoming chair of the House Freedom Caucus, said he will use every means at his disposal to fix the southern border labeling it a top priority for the conservative group.

In an interview on “The Hill,” the congressman asserted that the House had already taken significant steps by passing what he called “the strongest border security bill in history.”

He highlighted key measures within the legislation, such as reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, completing the border wall, and implementing strict catch-and-release policies.

Good expressed concern about the Senate’s delay in addressing the House bill, which has been awaiting action for months. He urged Senate Republicans to support the House’s position and pass the H.R.2 bill, emphasizing the need to avoid “phony, pretend, weak, milquetoast, watered-down” border security proposals.

Good called the current situation at the southern border “the greatest harm ever done intentionally to the United States.”

When asked about the ongoing debate within the Republican Party regarding former President Donald Trump, Good avoided taking sides but underscored the success of Trump’s immigration policies. He advocated for building on those policies by codifying them into law.

Addressing internal dissent within the Freedom Caucus, particularly comments made by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Good dismissed accusations of disloyalty to Trump.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset because Kevin McCarthy got removed from the speaker position, she backed him unconditionally. She’s upset because she got kicked out of the Freedom Caucus,” Good said after Greene called him a traitor for not endorsing Trump.

December migrant encounters at the southern border are on track to exceed November’s numbers by 30%, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol sources confirmed to NewsNation Monday.

CBP encountered roughly 130,000 migrants in the first 17 days of November. For the first 17 days in December, CBP reported about 167,000 encounters, according to a CBP source. That is a jump of 37,000 encounters, or 28%.