THE BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY has until Feb. 17th to come up with a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. They need to be reminded to do the job we want done. Here's my contribution.

WALLS WORK. That is not opinion, it is an objective, verifiable, testable, and repeatable fact. Call them what you want - walls, fences, barriers, big piles of steel, concrete, and rock, large flat vertical surfaces on which to place valuable works of art - physical barriers impede movement. If you're too dumb to understand that simple concept, then resign now - you shouldn't be a member of Congress.

That said, I want a physical barrier along our southern border. It needn't be continuous, and no physical barrier can possibly be impenetrable - that's an impossibility. But a physical barrier is sufficient to channel illegal migration to border areas that can be effectively managed.

No technology, no matter how sophisticated, can do that.

So provide funds in the Homeland Security budget to build one. Listen to the Border Patrol agents and provide the funds to build what they need, where they need it. Whether it's $1 billion or $10 billion, provide it. The cost is insignificant compared to the (every year) cost of maintaining an illegal population in the United States.

And if you can't come to a consensus on providing funding on a border barrier, I have a trio of threats: First, I will urge President Trump to veto whatever you propose, shut the government down again, and keep it shut down for however long it takes. Second, I will urge him to use his Presidential authority and build the wall over Congressional objection. And finally, I will remember your stance and support your opponents financially during your next election cycle.

Keep firmly in mind - you work for me, not conversely.

Here are the 17 members of the bipartisan committee to fund Homeland Security.

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA)
https://aguilar.house.gov/
(202) 225-3201

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
https://www.blunt.senate.gov/
(202) 224-5721

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
https://www.capito.senate.gov/
(202) 224-6472

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
https://cuellar.house.gov/
(202) 225-1640

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
https://www.durbin.senate.gov/
(202) 224-2152

Rep. Charles Fleischmann (R-TN)
https://fleischmann.house.gov/
(202) 225-3271

Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA)
https://tomgraves.house.gov/
(202) 225-5211

Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX)
https://kaygranger.house.gov/
(202) 225-5071

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/
(202) 224-2551

Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT)
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/
(202) 224-4242

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
https://lee.house.gov/
(202) 225-2661

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)
https://lowey.house.gov/
(202) 225-6506

Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS)
https://palazzo.house.gov/
(202) 225-5772

Rep. David Price (D-NC)
https://price.house.gov/
(202) 225-1784

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
https://roybal-allard.house.gov/
(202) 225-1766

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)
https://www.shelby.senate.gov/
(202) 224-5744

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
https://www.tester.senate.gov/
(202) 224-2644

Do what I've done - write them, call them, urge - no, demand - they 'build the wall'.

UPDATE & BUMP: Senators seem to be willing to accept email input from anyone; Congresscritters, not so much. So you may have to content yourself with calling them directly. Or do what I did - send an email to your own Congresscritter requesting that he/she/it forward it on to the committee members listed above. Along with a (somewhat snide) suggestion that Congressccritters only be allowed to work on legislative items restricted solely to their own districts.