Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s floor speech.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor highlighting the importance of honoring the legacy of Laken Riley by securing our Southern Border and bringing criminal illegal immigrants to justice.

Senator Capito’s floor remarks, as prepared for delivery, are included below:

“Mr/Madam President,

“This week, the Senate is proud to take another step toward securing our Southern Border as we consider the Laken Riley Act.

“I want to extend my deep gratitude to Senator Katie Britt and Senator Ted Budd for their leadership in bringing this bill forward.

“First and foremost, I want to say that I strongly support this measure.

“With this bill, the Senate takes a bold stand for the safety and prosperity of American citizens after four years of mismanagement, decline, and ultimately, chaos.

“The Laken Riley Act is the answer to a loud and clear call made at the ballot box by the American people: to unite as a country, to put Americans First, and to address the tragic lawlessness at our Southern Border.

“And so, as the Senate’s first order of legislative business, we are answering that call.

“The radical open border policies of the Left have caused untold suffering for families across the nation, families like the Riley family, who are still grieving the unimaginable loss of their daughter, Laken.

“Laken Riley was just 22 years old, a young nursing student with a promising future ahead of her.

“Tragically, she was stolen from this earth by an individual who should never have been allowed to roam free.

“Laken should be alive today, and she would be, if her killer had been brought to justice before it was too late.

“In Laken, we lost a bright, beautiful soul, as those who knew her will attest.

“The law should serve our citizens, yet it was somehow Laken’s killer that benefited from our system.

“It’s time we honor Laken’s legacy by putting American citizens first.

“The Laken Riley Act, while too late to prevent Laken’s tragedy, is a targeted bill that will save countless others.

“It will ensure other illegal immigrants, not dissimilar to her killer, are detained for their crimes before they get a chance to commit a more serious offense.

“Anyone who has entered the U.S. illegally and then committed a crime should and will face detention and deportation.

“Laken’s killer was arrested three times and released three times: once at the border, again in New York, and a third time in Athens mere weeks before he took Laken’s life.

“That won’t happen under the Laken Riley Act.

“This is a problem that cannot be ignored. The American people demand change.

“The American people want us to fix the system that failed to uphold the law and keep Laken safe.

“Her cause is their cause.

“It’s the cause of every mother, every father, every brother, and every sister of a young girl who simply wants to go on a run in her own neighborhood and feel safe.

“I know, at its core, this is a truly bipartisan issue.

“We all want to keep our communities safe, Republicans and Democrats.

“Our Republican Conference is completely unified behind the Laken Riley Act, and we’ve managed to win over a majority of Senate Democrats for the bill’s initial consideration, including two who have signed on as cosponsors.

“As my Democratic colleague from Pennsylvania has noted, failure to pass this bill would represent everything wrong with Congress.

“The truth is that American citizens have had enough of talk, especially after these last four years. 

“Now is the time for action.

“This week we will have before us a tranche of critical votes that America will be intently watching.

“To the families watching who have lost loved ones, like the Riley family, we stand with you.

“We feel your grief and your pain, and we will guard against this heartbreak happening ever again.

“Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon my colleagues and me to support America’s families and pass the strongest possible bill for our communities.

“With that, I look forward to advancing the Laken Riley Act this week.

“Thank you, and I yield the floor.”

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