Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline: June 28, 2019

The crisis at the southern border is real and getting worse. Illegal immigration, asylum requests, and apprehension rates have reached staggering levels not seen in a decade or more. In May FY 2019 (the most recent month data was available), U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 132,887 apprehensions at the southern border. That is an increase of more than 160 percent since October when only 51,008 apprehensions were made.

Perhaps more staggering than the total number of people apprehended is the number of unaccompanied minors who are taken into custody at the southern border. In May FY 2019, 11,507 unaccompanied minors were apprehended compared to only 4,966 in October, an increase of more than 130 percent.

President Donald Trump has identified this problem and called for action. House and Senate Republicans agree with the President. Even former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, an appointee of President Barack Obama, has said the situation at the border is a crisis. But for months, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic Caucus have played politics and refused any attempt at considering bipartisan legislation to improve security at the border and help illegal immigrants and asylum seekers in need of humanitarian aid.

On Wednesday of this week, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation 84-8 which authorizes $4.5 billion to combat the humanitarian crisis along the southern border. While Speaker Pelosi initially refused to consider this legislation in the House, it became clear that the Senate passed bill was the best way to quickly get aid to those most in need and begin taking the important steps necessary to improve security at the border. I was proud to stand with my colleagues to vote for this critical legislation that addresses both the security and humanitarian crises at the border.

In addition to the action regarding the southern border, the House also took up a second “minibus” package. If you remember from the Sixth District Perspective two weeks ago, a minibus is a collection of appropriation bills usually debated and voted on as standalone bills. This week’s minibus dealt with military construction and the VA, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, as well as Agriculture. As stated before, the process for appropriations is broken. The House has not yet passed a budget but is appropriating funds at levels that bust through the spending caps put in place by the Budget Control Act. This minibus package overspends by roughly $29.8 billion above FY19 levels and would raise discretionary spending by $350 billion in FY20 and FY21.

Overspending is a detriment to all Americans. The increased debt will be passed to our children and could damage economic growth. And for what? This particular spending package prioritizes spending money on items such as paying for lawyers for illegal aliens who cross the border and preventing the Department of Housing and Urban Development from finalizing a rule to require immigration status verification in order to access public housing benefits. The measure would also omit long-standing 2nd Amendment protections previously supported on a bipartisan basis. The bill is a wish list of liberal spending priorities that should not become law. It is my hope that Leader McConnell stands with House Republicans who have voted against these measures and blocks it from passing the Senate.

Busy as it was, the week was not all about legislation. This week also brought the opportunity to meet with the newest citizens of the United States on Friday at a ceremony in Roanoke. I have attended several of these events across the Sixth District since January and I am always moved by the stories shared by my fellow Americans. The journey to immigrate legally and the process of earning citizenship is not easy, but I encouraged everyone to enjoy their new freedoms, including the right to vote and run for office. It is important to make your voice heard and there is no better way to get involved than to be a part of the process.

I want to hear from you. If you have a thought about legislation moving through Congress, please call my Washington office at (202) 225-5431. If you need assistance with a federal agency, please call my Roanoke office at (540) 857-2672.