On June 12, HHS Secretary Azar and Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan sent a letter to Members of Congress noticing that this month they anticipate running out of funding for programs to care for migrants, including children, in custody at the border. The recent surge of detentions is depleting resources to provide humanitarian assistance and preventing border patrol agents from performing their official duties, creating national security vulnerabilities.
For weeks, House Republicans repeatedly called for a vote on H.R. 3056, the Border Crisis Supplemental Appropriations Act to provide humanitarian assistance for children in custody and ease the burden on border patrol officers—without including controversial provisions for a border wall. However, House Democrats needlessly drew out the process and refused to allow critical funding legislation to come up for vote.
Last week, Senate Democrats finally acknowledged that there is, in fact, a crisis at the border and worked with Senate Republicans to find a bipartisan solution that met the Trump Administration’s request for supplemental appropriations to address the border crisis. Wednesday, the Senate arrived at a bipartisan solution that provided $4.6 billion in supplemental appropriations, passing 84 – 8.
Following that, House Democrats put forth a bill to provide supplemental appropriations, but it included poison pills, including slashes to funding for ICE. However, solution-minded members of the Democrat caucus couldn’t swallow additional political delay at the expense of migrant children and border patrol agents. Speaker Pelosi pulled her bill from the House floor when Democrats in the Problem-Solvers Caucus followed the lead of their counterparts in the Senate, joining Republicans in support of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3401. The bill passed 305 – 102 with a Republican majority to finally deliver the funding needed for our law enforcement, children and families on the Southern border.
Iran continues to threaten international security through its support of terror and attacks on commercial shipping and American assets. Led by Republicans, on Wednesday, the House voted to increase funding by $10 million for the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to support the enforcement of sanctions on Iran.
House Republicans used a procedural vote, called a Motion to Recommit, that took the partisan H.R. 3351, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, (which would have gone nowhere in the Senate) and amended it on the floor to address Iran’s continued acts of aggression. The motion gained the support of 37 Democrats, passing 226-195 to reinforce the maximum economic pressure on Iran and deprive it of resources that fund its malign activities. Learn more about what a Motion to Recommit is here.
The Fifth District’s Congressional Art Competition winner, Jessika Norman of Millers Creek, came to Washington, DC, for the installation of her piece, “Brook Trout,” in the U.S. Capitol. |
Associated Builders and Contractors came to my DC office to present me with the National Eagle Award for my support in Congress of North Carolina contractors and their employees. |
Went to the 58th Congressional Baseball Game with the DC staff. |
| 2019 Veterans Information Session |
On July 19th, from 2-4pm, at the National Guard Armory in Elkin, I will be hosting my annual Veterans Information Session. Veterans Affairs Department representatives and veterans service organizations will be in attendance to discuss issues and benefits important to those who have served in America’s Armed Forces and their families. With the initial launch of the VA MISSION Act earlier this month, this information session will provide a timely opportunity to learn about the new ways VA healthcare beneficiaries can streamline their access to community care programs.
