On the recordJuly 15, 2019
Providing opportunities for the most vulnerable individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras is common sense, and working to address the root causes of child and family migration is a long-term solution that we should all be able to agree on. It is the right thing to do, but it is also in our own interest. And while U.S. foreign assistance is crucial, it is not a gift. It must come with strong conditions. Our legislation puts in place such conditions for our assistance to the Northern Triangle and includes tough, smart, targeted sanctions to combat corruption. By passing this bill today, Congress can send, and will send, a loud and clear message that we stand with the people of the Northern Triangle countries to make their countries safer and more prosperous so they aren't forced to make the dangerous trek here. We can also send a message to China and Russia that the U.S. will not abandon our friends and partners in Central America. Let me conclude by thanking Mr. McCaul for his partnership on this measure. We truly worked on this together. We were together in Central America when we got the word of the potential cutoff of funding, and we worked closely together in a bipartisan way to make sure that that wouldn't be the case. So I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I thank Mr. McCaul again, and I yield back the balance of my time.
