On the recordAugust 28, 2018
today I voted yea on the confirmation of Lynn Johnson of Colorado to lead the Administration for Children and Families under the Department of Health and Human Services. As the head of the agency that oversees the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Mrs. Johnson now faces the daunting and critically important task of overseeing the ongoing reunification of hundreds of children and parents who were forcibly and cruelly separated by this administration at the southern border. This nightmare is far from over. As of today, hundreds of children have still not been reunified with their families. According to information I received from the Department of Health and Human Services yesterday, 43 of these children are being held in facilities in my home State of Florida. I am outraged at the slow pace of reunification, and I am furious that these children are still being subjected to the unimaginable trauma of separation at the hands of our government. I conveyed these serious concerns to Mrs. Johnson when I met with her last month. It is my hope that she understands the gravity of the situation she has now inherited. I expect her to immediately put forward a plan to reunify all remaining separated children with their families and to ensure that these children are treated humanely while they are held in facilities that she now oversees. I will continue to monitor this crisis, and I will continue to hold this administration accountable for its policies. ____________________
