On the recordJune 12, 2019
I want to repeat what my amendment is. My amendment is to make sure that if a child dies in government custody, that that death is reported to the Congress. I am shocked that anybody in this Chamber would disagree with that provision. I am saying that if somebody dies in ORR custody, they are going to tell us. So to be opposed to this amendment means that you want to be part of a coverup and make sure that the government does not say anything about a child's death. The reason that this is so important is because last September a young 10-year-old girl died. This Congress and the American people were not told for 7 or 8 months about that young girl's death. Today, we offer an amendment to make sure that the Congress is told, that the American people know what is going on with their government. And when I offer that amendment on the other side, I am opposed, people are against it. They want to cover up these deaths? They don't want the American people to know that people are dying? There have been, in the last few years--actually, in less than a year--six children who have died in government custody, and more adults over the last few years. This is already the rule with the Department of Homeland Security with ICE. This is extending it to ORR. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
