Cracking Down on Human Smuggling
What to know: A new bill has gone into effect in Texas, cracking down on human smuggling.
The TPPF take: This law increases existing penalties for human smuggling and operating stash houses.
“Our research on the scourge of human smuggling highlights the importance of Texas doing what it can to deter smugglers,” says TPPF’s Carine Martinez. “According to the Department of Homeland Security, the percentage of illegal border crossers using a smuggler has steadily increased over the decades, reaching as high as 95% in 2006. As long as the southern border isn’t fully secure, the number of people who seek to enter our state with the help of a smuggler is likely to increase.”
For more on human smuggling, click here.
A Bad Bill
What to know: Senate Republicans are working to stop a bill that Democrats say would secure the border.
The TPPF take: The Senate bill would do little more than codify President Joe Biden’s open border policies.
“While the American people beg the nation’s leaders to take responsibility for border security, the Senate has instead released 370 pages of lawless insanity,” says TPPF’s Selene Rodriguez. “What’s even more infuriating after reading this pointless bill is knowing that the Senate didn’t even have to waste its time negotiating the bill. The House has already passed a border security bill that is actually about border security—H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.”
For a fuller analysis of the Senate bill. click here.
Winter is the New Summer
What to know: Winter weather is becoming a greater strain on the nation’s electrical grid than summer months, a new study shows, but the study says over reliance on natural gas is the primary problem.
The TPPF take: Winter is becoming a big problem because the U.S. is overinvesting in unreliable wind and solar and underinvesting in the resiliency measures to ensure reliable operation during winter storms.
“Texas is, sadly, a bellwether for the rest of the country. Despite adding copious amounts of wind and solar to the Texas grid, those resources aren’t even able to keep up with demand growth, and additional dispatchable generation is still needed,” says TPPF’s Brent Bennett. “Fully $100 billion in private investment and tens of billions in taxpayer subsidies have been spent on wind and solar infrastructure in Texas. If $25 billion of that would have been spent on weather resiliency and dispatchable generation, the Texas grid would be secure.”
For more on winter and the grid, click here.