The facts behind some of Eric Hovde’s comments aren’t as straight-forward as he stated

by Heather Asiyanbi - Racine County Eye

MILWAUKEE, WI — U.S. Senate-hopeful Eric Hovde took the stage Tues., July 16, to address the Republican National Convention (RNC).

During his remarks, he called for the re-election of former President Donald Trump to help push back against rising national debt, inflation, the fentanyl crisis, and the country's reputation on the international stage.

"Senator Baldwin votes with President Biden 95% of the time, making Americans less safe," Hovde said of his opponent, Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin.

Hovde highlights the national debt

While he was at the podium, Hovde highlighted concerns over the national debt.

"We've racked up more debt in the last three and a half years than our country's first 230 years combined." he said.

That claim is only partially accurate.

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the national debt has increased significantly in recent years in large part because the COVID-19 pandemic involved unprecedented levels of federal spending to mitigate some of the economic fallout.

Hovde blames fentanyl deaths on porous southern border

Hovde also condemned the handling of the southern border, saying the Biden administration's handling of immigration has contributed to the number of fentanyl deaths.

The drug killed more than 100,000 people in a 12-month period ending in April 2021.

"Provisional data shows the number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Wisconsin grew by 97 percent from 2019 (651) to 2021 (1,280)," the Wisconsin Department of Human Services website reads.

U.S. Senate candidate ERIC HOVDE from Wisconsin speaks on the second day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Tuesday July 16, 2024./Mark Hertzberg for Racine County Eye

In Racine County in 2021, fentanyl was the cause of death in 94% of overdose cases. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of overdose deaths related to fentanyl rose by 183%.

Blaming Biden for the flood of fentanyl to American cities only tells half the story.

Biden supported a bipartisan immigration bill that was blocked by Republicans. The bill addressed border security by hiring more Border Patrol agents, increasing the number of immigration judges and asylum officers, and implementing new technology to combat drug trafficking.

It also sought to expand lawful immigration pathways and expedite work authorization for eligible individuals. The bill faced opposition from Congressional Republicans, who ultimately blocked its passage.

Wisconsin depends on immigration

Immigration was increasingly mentioned during the second night of the RNC.

And while Hovde's perception of increased illegal crossings is supported by recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, it's also important to note the impact undocumented workers have on Wisconsin industries.

Specifically, Wisconsin is known as The Dairy State, but the industry couldn't keep up without the labor of undocumented workers.

A study from the University of Wisconsin estimates that nearly 70% of workers who milk cows on dairy farms are undocumented.

Undocumented workers often fill labor-intensive roles in other agriculture-related ways such as harvesting fruit and vegetables, working construction, and in the service industries.