WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) on Wednesday led a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in opposition to the vaccine mandate for federal employees, specifically in regards to Border Patrol and ICE agents. The letter urges DHS Secretary Mayorkas to consider alternatives to enforcing the vaccine mandate and work on retaining an already-limited Border Patrol workforce.
Under President Biden’s Executive Order 14043, federal employees are mandated to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. If they do not get vaccinated, they will be subject to termination as early as next month. The average hiring process for border patrol agents takes more than 400 days, followed by over 20 weeks of training at the Border Patrol Academy. With morale and recruitment rates already at an all-time low, the agency would be unable to fill vacancies expeditiously.
Read the full letter here.
“Our men and women in the Border Patrol have worked tirelessly to manage the crisis at our southern border,” said the letter. “This year especially, they have been subject to extraordinary amounts of mental and physical stress. With morale at an all-time low, this mandate will serve as a last straw for agents who can easily leave the agency for other law enforcement organizations at the state and local level or retire.”
Congressman Gonzales was joined by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY-21) and fellow House Republican Representatives Brian Babin (TX-36), Stephanie Bice (OK-05), Mike Bost (IL-12), Michael Burgess (TX-26), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Ben Cline (VA-06), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Rick Crawford (AR-01), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Ashley Hinson (IA-01), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Debbie Lesko (AZ-08), Tracey Mann (KS-01), Brian Mast (FL-18), Lisa McClain (MI-10), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), Blake Moore (UT-01), Barry Moore (AL-02), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Greg Pence (IN-06), Scott Perry (PA-10), August Pfluger (TX-11), John Rutherford (FL-04), Michelle Steel (CA-48), Greg Steube (FL-17), Claudia Tenney (NY-22), William Timmons (SC-04), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and Randy Weber (TX-14).