We’ve learned a few things from recent events: some government services are worth funding, there are many “borders” that need significant improvement and the president and Congress have no capacity to solve these problems.
Our country has many problematic borders, including the physical ones. To name a few: visa overstays, drugs coming by sea and air through regulated ports, bad actors around the world hacking into our systems including the Pentagon, the country’s intellectual property being highjacked by competitors and the EB-5 Visa allowing entry simply by investing $1 million.
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission was formed to close unneeded military installations. Commission recommendations led to closing over 300 bases, some causing much local concern and short-term loss. The process was needed because Congress could not act.
We need a commission to make recommendations about borders, broadly defined. Inevitably, this includes legal and illegal immigration, who can be a citizen and many other difficult matters.
The best methods for securing physical borders and improving ports of entry have been studied, so a commission could make some recommendations in perhaps six months. Other concerns would take much longer and could include a constitutional amendment.
These issues bring up fundamental questions. Lincoln at Gettysburg wondered if our nation “conceived in liberty” could “long endure.” It’s again time to ask if our nation is to endure, what does it mean to be a nation? A national commission with broad mandates would help answer this question.