Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the House for passing H.R. 3239 to provide humanitarian standards for migrants and refugees in Customs and Border Protection custody at our border. Having visited the U.S.-Mexico border now twice in the past 12 months, I know how desperately this bill was needed. We have good news and bad news. The good news is that the children, the young children, are no longer being separated from their biological parents, although we did see 310 children separated from aunts, uncles, and grandparents. But the worst news was the migrants who we saw held in overcrowded conditions for up to 40 to 60 days without any access to basic services, like a hot meal or a shower or being able to brush their teeth. These are inhumane conditions and a human rights violation. That is why I was proud to cosponsor the bill sponsored by Dr. Raul Ruiz to enact critical safety, nutrition, and hygiene standards for migrants in custody. I was pleased that the House accepted my amendments to protect women from sexual assault at the border. ____________________”