U.S. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Thursday, February 19 with her monthly report from Washington D.C.

Rep. Hageman discussed a number of various topics including the partial government shutdown, ICE operations and illegal immigration, and coal & energy production.

(0:00) Harriet Hageman on the SBI Radio Network this morning. (0:04) Harriet, I think we might have a better connection now. (0:07) I hope so, thank you very much.

(0:09) Yep, much, much better. (0:10) So we were just talking about the Lincoln County Telephone (0:13) Town Hall, if you’d like to summarize (0:15) and some of the topics discussed. (0:17) You bet.

(0:18) So what we do is go over what we have been doing in Congress, (0:21) what bills have been moving forward. (0:23) And right now, what we’ve been working on, obviously, (0:26) is getting the last of the 12 appropriations bills (0:30) across the finish line. (0:32) We’ve done 11 of them, and that’s (0:33) the first, I think, couple of decades (0:35) that Congress has actually worked to get (0:37) the appropriations bills done.

(0:39) As you probably know and your listeners know, (0:41) the Democrats are holding up and balking at funding (0:43) the Department of Homeland Security. (0:45) The irony of that right now is that we fully funded ICE, (0:50) and that’s what they’re trying to get at. (0:52) They’re trying to find a way to undermine immigration (0:55) custom enforcement.

(0:57) But we fully funded them in July of last year. (1:00) So really, the shutdown related to DHS (1:03) is only affecting agencies like FEMA and TSA, which does not (1:07) make any sense to me. (1:08) I keep reading and watching and talking with Speaker Johnson (1:12) about where we are in terms of moving forward (1:14) with getting that particular agency funded.

(1:17) Hopefully, we’ll have additional information (1:19) this week in that regard. (1:21) We continue to push back against the things (1:24) that came out under the Obama and the Biden administrations (1:27) that had severe economic impacts to the state of Wyoming, (1:31) as you probably saw last week. (1:33) The administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, (1:37) Lee Zeldin, announced that they are going to be nullifying (1:40) the endangerment finding.

(1:42) They’ve already issued the rule to that effect. (1:44) This is something that has been one of my highest priorities. (1:47) I have been saying for years that the endangerment finding (1:49) has neither legal, nor scientific, (1:53) nor a statutory basis.

(1:55) And it also violates the major questions doctrine (1:58) of the Constitution. (1:59) When you have something that is of this magnitude that (2:02) literally has an impact of trillions of dollars (2:05) on our economy and controls everything (2:07) from automobile manufacturing to the kind of stoves (2:10) that we can have and whether we can have gas water heaters, (2:14) all of those things, Congress never (2:17) gave the authority to the EPA, (2:20) delegated the authority to the EPA to administer (2:23) and oversee those kinds of things (2:24) and basically control the entire economy. (2:27) So that’s something that is a huge development (2:29) just in the last week and something that I actually visited (2:32) with Lee Zeldin about when he first took office (2:35) over a year ago.

(2:36) So these are all exciting developments (2:38) for the state of Wyoming. (2:39) This is some of the information that I would have addressed (2:42) during the Lincoln Town Hall. (2:44) Yeah, and you mentioned that order from Zeldin.

(2:47) You combine that with the president’s executive order (2:50) directing the military to work directly (2:52) with coal produced energy as well. (2:54) And it really does show the commitment to coal (2:57) from the White House. (3:00) What it shows a commitment to is affordable (3:02) and reliable energy.

(3:04) I was just at the White House last week (3:06) when there was a reception honoring President Trump (3:09) for his willingness to actually look at (3:12) what the American consumer needs and wants. (3:14) And this was specific to coal. (3:16) We had a lot of coal miners and folks (3:18) in the coal mining industry there, (3:20) as well as other leaders.

(3:21) But here’s the reality. (3:22) I do not believe that it’s the government’s responsibility (3:24) to punish people and make people’s lives worse. (3:27) I believe that our responsibility is to find ways (3:30) to make their lives better.

(3:31) And one of the ways that we do that (3:33) is with affordable, reliable energy. (3:35) And there is no question from anyone, (3:37) even those on the left and those who do not believe (3:39) that we should use it, (3:40) that coal is one of the most affordable (3:42) and reliable sources of energy that we have. (3:45) The President refers to it as clean, beautiful coal.

(3:48) And I agree with that. (3:49) What we’re able to do in terms of protecting (3:52) our environment while also accessing our energy supplies (3:55) is really second to none in the world. (3:58) We have one of the cleanest environments in the world.

(4:00) I challenge people to travel in other countries (4:02) where they’re trying to go down this road of net zero. (4:05) And what you find is abject poverty. (4:07) And when you have abject poverty, (4:08) nobody cares about the environment.

(4:10) And that’s what you’re starting to see (4:11) in even the European countries. (4:13) I think that they’re often held up as the paradigm of virtue (4:17) because they’re going down net zero. (4:19) They’re destroying their economies.

(4:22) In Germany, they voted recently last fall (4:25) in the second largest city to deindustrialize. (4:27) Well, what do you think that that is going to do (4:29) to the citizens of that community? (4:31) Do you think it’s gonna make their lives better or worse? (4:34) It’s gonna make their lives a lot worse. (4:35) And that is when people don’t care about the environment.

(4:38) And that is why it is absolutely critical (4:41) that we have a balance (4:42) and that we use the resources we have responsibly. (4:45) U.S. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman with us (4:47) on the Weekday Wake-up this morning. (4:48) Of course, Congresswoman, a lot of light (4:50) has been shown on ICE operations, (4:53) specifically in the Great Lakes region.

(4:55) And I wanna get your take on how things have gone (4:58) and what’s happening with ICE. (5:01) Well, first of all, I think things are calming down (5:03) after Tom Homan went into Minnesota (5:05) and started working with the local community (5:08) and the state and the mayor of Minneapolis. (5:11) I don’t think that you’re seeing (5:12) nearly the kind of mayhem before, (5:14) but here’s what I’m going to say.

(5:15) All of that was intentional to try to find a way (5:18) to undermine the good work that ICE is doing. (5:21) Here’s the other advice that I will give to people. (5:23) Do not interfere with law enforcement operations.

(5:26) It’s just that simple. (5:27) I’m sorry, you may not like it, (5:29) but the fact is that we are a country of laws (5:32) and we abide by the rule of law. (5:33) If people are here illegally, they need to be removed.

(5:36) And I know people wanna say, (5:37) well, they don’t have criminal records. (5:39) Yes, they do. (5:40) They came into the country, they are here illegally (5:42) and they need to be removed.

(5:44) In addition to which they have been focusing (5:46) on those people who have the terrible criminal records. (5:49) I was just reading about a guy down in Virginia. (5:52) I can’t even say, I won’t even say the words on air (5:56) that he has been accused (5:57) of what he has been accused of doing.

(5:59) It is absolutely reprehensible. (6:01) What he has done to women and children (6:03) should shock the conscience of everybody. (6:05) And then here you have Virginia saying (6:06) they are not going to cooperate with ICE (6:08) in removing people like that from their communities.

(6:11) It makes no sense to me at all. (6:13) My view is that again, we are a country (6:15) that believes in the rule of law. (6:17) If you disagree with what an agency is doing (6:20) or how something is being enforced, (6:22) we have a court system that you can access to address that, (6:25) but you don’t go out and physically interfere (6:27) with the law enforcement operation (6:29) as it is being carried out.

(6:30) And I think that it is critically important (6:34) that we are able to secure our borders (6:37) and enforce our laws. (6:38) That is what ICE is doing. (6:40) The other side doesn’t want them to do that.

(6:43) It doesn’t change the fact that it is what they should do. (6:46) Congresswoman, you mentioned the Southern border. (6:47) I was going to kind of transition into that (6:49) from the ICE conversation.

(6:50) And what are you seeing now (6:52) as far as the numbers coming across the border? (6:55) Because you and I talked in the past (6:56) and those just huge numbers day to day (6:59) of illegal immigration across the South. (7:01) What are you seeing now? (7:04) Essentially zero, essentially zero (7:06) because we’re enforcing our borders. (7:08) So this was the lie of the last four years (7:10) of there’s nothing we can do about it.

(7:12) This is just life. (7:13) What I have consistently argued (7:15) over the last several years (7:17) is we are not talking about immigration. (7:19) We are talking about mass migration.

(7:22) We’re talking about fundamentally changing America (7:26) and moving people from countries all over the world (7:30) into our midst and affecting our culture, (7:33) affecting our schools, our communities. (7:35) The economic impact of this has been dire. (7:38) You think about the small schools that we have in Wyoming.

(7:41) You add three or four students, non-English speaking students (7:44) and you look at the economic impact of that. (7:46) You look at how the border was a lot, (7:50) not only allowed to be wide open (7:51) but there was no enforcement mechanism or effort whatsoever. (7:55) And it was intentional.

(7:56) And now what are we seeing? (7:58) We are seeing that people recognize (7:59) that they’re not going to be treated the same (8:01) when they come here, (8:02) that we are going to enforce our laws (8:04) but every other country on planet earth does. (8:07) I cannot illegally enter Mexico. (8:09) I cannot illegally enter Canada.

(8:11) Do you know if you have a DUI on your record (8:14) from decades ago, even from decades ago, (8:16) if you have a DUI on your record, (8:18) you cannot go into Canada. (8:21) You are not allowed. (8:22) If you fly to Canada and you arrive at the customs, (8:27) they will look at your record (8:29) and they will turn you around and send you home.

(8:32) You are not allowed to go into their country (8:35) even if it was something you did 40 years ago. (8:38) And yet we’re required to leave our doors open (8:41) and allow people to overrun our borders. (8:43) It makes no sense.

(8:45) And we’re now seeing common sense enforcement (8:48) at our borders. (8:49) We’re seeing enforcement of the law (8:51) and we’re all better off for it. (8:53) Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (8:54) on the weekday wake up this morning.

(8:55) In the last few minutes we have Congresswoman, (8:57) anything that you would like to bring up today? (9:00) Well, I am looking forward to getting back in session (9:03) and continuing to work. (9:05) I think that we need to do another reconciliation package (9:07) and the Republican study committee of which I am a member, (9:11) they have been working diligently to identify other areas (9:14) in which we can use the reconciliation process (9:17) for additional budgeting for the country (9:19) to put us on even better footing (9:21) in terms of our economic situation. (9:23) So I’m looking forward to continuing with that dialogue.

(9:27) I’m continuing to get around the state. (9:29) I enjoy going around the state and meeting with people. (9:32) I am looking forward to getting up to the legislature (9:34) as soon as I possibly can.

(9:36) I’m heading home tomorrow. (9:38) I’ll be back in Cheyenne. (9:39) And so it’s just, I appreciate the opportunity (9:42) to meet with people back in Washington DC (9:44) as well as Wyoming both.

(9:46) I’m very honored to represent Wyoming (9:48) and I think things are going well in DC. (9:51) U.S. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman this morning. (9:53) It’s on the weekday wake up (9:54) and thank you so much for your time as always.