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Illegal crossings over our Southern border are now taking place at the fastest pace in history. For the third straight month, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) detentions topped 100,000 in May with record-breaking levels of illegal crossings by Guatemalan and Honduran parents bringing children. ICE anticipates apprehending over 1 million people this year and will have to release 65 percent of these individuals into our country. This situation is straining resources and overwhelming facilities. President Trump has requested funding not only to secure our border, but also to handle the growing influx of illegal immigrants in custody that need care. Even as the border crisis worsens and our border patrol agents ask for more resources, Democrats refuse to work on legislation to fix the problem.
This week, the Senate Amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act passed the House. The bill would appropriate $19.188 billion in cap-exempt emergency funding, only about half of which will actually be spent by the end of next fiscal year. For the Democrats, the current state of our Southern border doesn’t constitute an emergency, and they continue to refuse funding to secure our border or improve conditions for children in custody.
Instead, on Tuesday, House Democrats voted to give amnesty to illegal immigrants by passing H.R. 6. This bill provides a special pathway to citizenship for a large number of illegal immigrants but does not include any enforcement measures that would secure the border and would not eliminate the incentive for illegal immigration. The nearly 800,000 DACA recipients are only a small number of the illegal immigrants who would be given green cards and a special path to citizenship. Republicans put forward a measure that would allow federal and state gang databases to be used to screen illegal immigrants and deny green-card eligibility to known gang-members, but Democrats rejected this reasonable proposal to keep our communities safe.
| Recognizing Sergeant Gerald Gwaltney |
Commemorations like the 75th anniversary of D-Day are important to honor the brave Americans who fought and died to defend our country. The sacrifices of the thousands who gave their lives on D-Day to protect our country and our allies from hostile imperial and totalitarian regimes have not been forgotten. WWII veterans remind us of the cost of the freedoms we often take for granted. One of these heroes is Sergeant Gerald Gwaltney of Hiddenite, North Carolina who I recognized on the House floor this week.
Last weekend, I attended the annual Watauga County Emergency Fest, where I was able to meet the hard-working individuals from local fire departments, law enforcement agencies and rescue squads who keep Watauga County safe. |
On Tuesday, the Library of Congress opened its new exhibit, “Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote.” The exhibit features handwritten letters, speeches, photographs, and scrapbooks created by American suffragists who fought for over seven decades to win voting rights for women. It was wonderful to join the Librarian, Dr. Hayden, and my colleagues at the exhibit on opening night! Explore the exhibit here. |
On June 6, 1872, Susan B. Anthony, who would later become one of the most famous suffragettes, was arrested and fined for attempting to vote in an election. Women like Susan B. Anthony fought for over seven decades for this right, which was celebrated this week with the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Senate passing the 19th Amendment on June 4, 1919.
Next week, the House will consider legislation to appropriate funds to HHS, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the Legislative Branch, the Department of Energy, and Defense; State; and Foreign Operations for Fiscal Year 2020. Have a blessed weekend.
Sincerely,
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