On the recordJune 27, 2019
The humanitarian situation at our southern border is disgraceful. The Trump administration has exacerbated a crisis that has led to intolerable conditions for children and families in the government's care. We have been advised that agencies that provide critical services for children, including the Office of Refugee Resettlement and Customs and Border Protection, will imminently run out of funds. Earlier this week, the House passed a comprehensive bill to fund these agencies and provide important reforms to ensure that children in our government's care are safe, healthy, and comfortable. Sadly, the White House, which has done so much to create this crisis, refused to work with us to protect the children; and the Senate majority leader, who I am told is selling T-shirts that describe him as the Grim Reaper, refuses to respect the House as a coequal body of Congress and negotiate the differences in our legislation. Left in the lurch by this cruelty and callousness are the babies and children in government care. The House refuses to be a party to this cruelty. That is why we are reluctantly bringing the Senate legislation to the floor today. We could have done better for our children and our families, but, unfortunately, the White House and the Senate would not allow that. So we will fight another day, and we will never stop fighting to protect the children who are our future. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
