Kay Granger: “Almost 2 months ago, the administration sounded the alarm about the crisis at our southwest border and told the Congress…”

“Almost 2 months ago, the administration sounded the alarm about the crisis at our southwest border and told the Congress additional funds were badly needed. Now, 2 months later, we are here. We have this border supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 3401, that falls terribly short and will only further delay addressing the problem. I oppose this bill in its current form. Hundreds of thousands of people have arrived at the border this year. Some are coming through points of entry, and many are crossing through the desert or the Rio Grande. Men and women across agencies and departments have been working together to try to respond to the overwhelming surge of people coming to the border illegally for the past 3 months, totaling over 100,000 people per month. Last month topped that: 144,000 men, women, and children from 51 countries. Our agents and officers, our volunteers, our nongovernmental organizations are dealing with nearly 20,000 people in a space designed for a fraction of that. They are dealing with the increasing summer heat, and they are dealing with migrants with grave medical conditions. This is a real crisis, and we need a bill that provides for all the agencies that are involved in responding. It is long overdue. The bill before us does not provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Defense, or the immigration courts with the funds they need.…”