The information below highlights the positions, press releases, and public announcements issued during Congressman Kevin Hern’s tenure as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
Official Positions
Pfluger Amendment to H.R. 5961, the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act
November 29, 2023
The RSC Steering Committee supports the passage of Pfluger Amendment 6 to H.R. 5961 the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act.
This amendment would strengthen this important bill by blocking all Iranian sanctioned funds from being unfrozen or otherwise released, and by removing the President’s abilities to release such funds through the abuse of waiver or license authorities. The announcement last week that the Biden administration was issuing a waiver allowing Iraq to send $10 billion dollars to Iran for electricity payments underscores the need for Congress to act to prevent any further funding from going to the terrorist regime in Iran. In the wake of the October 7th attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists it is more pressing than ever that Congress uses all means to choke off any and all sources of funding to the terrorist regime in Iran.
Border Priorities
February 24, 2023
The RSC Steering Committee supports the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas. It also urges all House Republicans and Congress to swiftly pass legislation to force the Biden Administration to secure the border. This is a moral obligation. Under the Biden Administration, the brave men and women who serve in CBP have been demonized for trying their best to secure the border, protect border communities, and assist the countless individuals victimized by cartels. Congress must stand with these agents and officers and provide them with the capacity and capabilities to secure our border. Additionally, as part of this effort, the RSC Steering Committee endorses the following consensus conservative policies as part of a future House border package:
- Restore Operational Control of the Border: Congress should statutorily provide for the immediate expulsion of aliens who cross the border illegally. If an alien cannot be detained through the entirety of the asylum determination process, DHS should be required to expel them. Additionally, Congress should codify the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), end “alternatives-to-detention,” legislatively prevent President Biden’s abuse of prosecutorial discretion and parole authority, and codify strict third-country asylum restrictions on illegal border crossers who did not seek protection in a country through which they traveled.
- Asylum Reform: The asylum process is filled with exploitable loopholes, acting as magnets that draws even more aliens with meritless claims to flood across our border. To prevent this exploitation, Congress must raise the credible fear standard, codify pre-Biden decisions ensuring asylum benefits do not extend to claims based on general local crime, and bar criminals from the asylum process.
- End Incentives for Illegal Immigration: Congress should eliminate incentivizes for illegal immigration, namely ending catch and release, cutting off illegal U.S. labor markets—including through strengthening E-Verify, and ending policies that encourage human smuggling of unaccompanied alien children (UACs)— such as the Flores settlement.
- Border Infrastructure: Congress should fund and require the completion of the border wall and build effective roadways along the border. This will give Border Patrol more time to quickly respond to illegal border crossers no matter how remote they are.
- Combat cartels: Cartels have taken operational control of our border largely controlling the smuggling of aliens and drugs into the U.S. Congress must address the cartel threat and end the humanitarian crisis at the border. Congress should sanction cartels and enhance criminal penalties for smuggling drugs and humans illegally into the U.S
Debt Limit Priorities
February 1, 2023
- Reverse recent increases in overall discretionary spending and institute statutory limitations on annual discretionary spending levels.
- Enact a package of inflation-busting reforms to increase domestic energy capacity and reduce associated regulatory and permitting barriers.
- Fight inflation and the onset of a Democrat-induced recession by ending the national COVID-19 emergency, increasing workforce participation, advancing targeted, paid-for, pro-growth tax policies, and countering overregulation with common-sense guardrails like the REINS Act.
- Ensure an increase in the debt ceiling is accompanied by commensurate spending reductions, including through recissions of the Democrats’ recent excessive spending.
- Eliminate wasteful spending on duplicative programs, examine ways to fight waste, fraud and abuse, and transition non-entitlement mandatory programs to the discretionary side of the budget.
- Establish a long-term fiscal control focused on reducing spending to restrain the growth of our federal debt as a percentage of the nation’s economy.
- Codify procedures to ensure the federal government honors certain critical obligations, such as federal debt payments, national security and veterans, Social Security and Medicare.
Press Releases
