This is an opinion column.

If you ask politicians in America about the problems facing our nation, most of them will point fingers at a politician in the opposing party. A few will offer ideas off the cuff to get through an interview. Every once in a while, a leader listens, does the work, and introduces responsive legislation. When it comes to America’s immigration crisis, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) has set the tone for her legislative career as a leader who honors her commitments.

Politicians should be accountable for doing the job for which we elect them. In the case of Congress, the job description includes oversight of the federal bureaucracy and legislating. It isn’t hollering at Joe Biden when he lies or a hot take on cable news.

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A few weeks ago, I penned a column in response to Sen. Britt’s trip to America’s southern border. Countless federal officials have made the trip south over the past decade, but our immigration problem has only worsened. Britt committed that she and her Senate colleagues would introduce “multiple pieces of legislation on the issue of border security and immigration in the coming weeks.”

I’ve worked as a political attorney for much of my career. I can count with one finger the number of times I’ve witnessed an elected official respond to a columnist with a commitment and timeline to address a specific policy issue.

The most encouraging part is that she didn’t do it because I pressed her. Britt and her colleagues like Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) planned to act all along. The trip was genuinely an opportunity for them to view the situation on the ground.

Thursday, Sen. Britt introduced four pieces of immigration-related legislation. The first, S. Res. 45, is a simple resolution expressing the sense of the Senate “that the current influx of migrants is causing a crisis at the Southern border.” It’s short and to the point.

We can’t solve our immigration woes if we’re not all willing to admit we have a problem. Democrats will almost certainly ignore the simple resolution, and that’s a powerful political tool for Republicans. If Democrats won’t even admit a demonstrable crisis, are they serious about governing? If they do admit there’s a crisis, why aren’t they addressing it more aggressively?

Britt also introduced S. 333, the “Keep Our Communities Safe Act,” which ends current policy of releasing undocumented aliens into the interior of the United States after six months of detention if no other country accepts them for deportation. Deportation requires cooperation from other countries. When other nations refuse an alien, we need a better process for deciding what to do with them other than simply releasing them.

Britt’s third piece of legislation, S. 348, addresses a number of critical issues in the asylum process. The “Asylum Abuse Reduction Act” requires “individuals seeking asylum to have their preliminary credible fear screening with an immigration officer by telephone or in person at an embassy or consulate outside the United States.” This alleviates the issue of immigrants illegally crossing the border and then claiming asylum only after they’re apprehended.

Ensuring immigrants show for asylum hearings is also a real challenge. Britt’s legislation would create a criminal bench warrant for immigrants who fail to show. As a result, those individuals may be apprehended when stopped for unrelated offenses such as traffic violations. On an interesting and thoughtful note, Britt’s bill makes a clear exception for victims of human trafficking.

Britt’s Wall Act, S. 332, appropriates $25 billion in mandatory funds to build a wall at the southern border of the United States. The legislation pays for the wall with a $3,000 minimum fine on illegal entry into the United States and a $300 fee on every undocumented immigrant “working and filing taxes in the US.” The measure also includes a number of provisions which ensure that social welfare and tax benefits do not flow to individuals without legal status in the United States.

Resist the knee-jerk reaction to either embrace Britt’s legislation or reject it. Alabama’s junior senator and her staff put together concrete legislative responses to real issues facing our country. She honored her commitments, pulled together a coalition of Senate cosponsors, and did it on a timeline. That alone is a significant achievement in today’s do-nothing political culture.

Regardless of whether Britt had followed through, I let her and her staff know my intent to follow up. One of the greatest dangers in politics is not holding officials accountable when we support them. I’m no different. We all tend to view our elected representatives charitably when we vote for them and harshly when we don’t.

We shouldn’t be afraid to ask tough questions. For example, if we’re not going to release immigration detainees into the US interior when their home countries refuse to accept them, how long should we hold them? Indefinitely? Is that even constitutional? It’s not an indictment of the idea; it is an opportunity for discussion.

Democrats will attack her for being harsh. Other Republicans will try to outflank Britt by being more inflammatory. Questions and criticisms are a hazard of a senator doing her job. The American legislative process was designed to accommodate such debate, but we’ve sadly moved away from it in our legislative process.

Britt has done the work of introducing legislation. Now is the time for the Senate to debate, amend, and actually provide good faith answers on immigration. Democrats may lead the Senate, but Britt and her colleagues have thrown down the gauntlet with real solutions. It’s an encouraging sign that at least a handful of leaders in Congress are still willing to work for the people they represent.

Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. He engages media, business, and policy through the Triptych Foundation and Triptych Media. Please direct outrage or agreement to [email protected] or @DCameronSmith on Twitter.