Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (NM-02) introduced the “Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry (PAUSE) Act of 2021”. The legislation is the Congresswoman’s first bill, and if passed, would prevent the introduction of new COVID-19 cases from the United States’ land and sea borders with Canada and Mexico.
Congresswoman Herrell explained:
In New Mexico and across the U.S., draconian lockdowns have been imposed in the name of 'slowing the spread' of COVID-19. Until the lockdowns and emergency declarations have ended, border health protections must remain in place to prevent the introduction of new cases and new strains of the virus at our borders.
It would be fundamentally unfair to keep American citizens on lockdown while allowing unfettered entry at the border.
The Biden administration has signaled it will seek to end these border health protections — known as Title 42 — and once again allow illegal aliens to enter the country. This move would risk the health and wellbeing of Border Patrol Agents, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, and the general public, argued Congresswoman Herrell.
Reaching 30 cosponsors on January 26th, the PAUSE Act requires Title 42 to remain in effect until:
- All state and federal lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews, and other COVID-19 mandates end;
- All public and federal public health emergencies for COVID-19 end; and
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traveler health risk level for Canada and Mexico is reduced to Level 1.
Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan explained the importance of maintaining Title 42:
CDC’s Title 42 has been an effective containment and mitigation strategy, resulting in the reduced introduction of COVID-19 into the U.S. from outside our borders. To prematurely resend this order would further endanger the lives of the CBP workforce, the American people, and the immigrants themselves.
Rosemary Jenks, Director of Government Relations at NumbersUSA, remarked on the proposed legislation:
It is absolutely critical, as this pandemic continues, that the protections put into place by Executive Branch agencies under the last administration are kept in place. Americans have enough challenges trying to find or maintain employment and keep themselves and their families healthy without having to worry whether the Biden administration is allowing potentially infected foreigners into the United States to worsen the risk for all of us.
The Pause Act is a common-sense bill that calls on the Executive Branch to continue focusing on protecting Americans. NumbersUSA commends Representative Herrell for introducing it and calls on all Members of Congress to support it.
The full list of cosponsors include:
- Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17)
- Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-5)
- Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04)
- Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02)
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14)
- Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01)
- Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-09)
- Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-15)
- Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42)
- Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04)
- Rep. Jerry Carl (AL-01)
- Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03)
- Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19)
- Rep. Bob Good (VA-05)
- Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02)
- Rep. Ashley Hinson (IA-01)
- Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02)
- Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05)
- Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15)
- Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-17)
- Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
- Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-04)
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)
- Rep. Madison Cawthorn (NC-11)
- Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)
- Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-1)
- Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10)
- Rep. Ron Wright (TX-06)
- Rep. Brian Babin, D.D.S. (TX-36)
