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Rogers: Democrats Continue to Play Politics with Migrant Lives, Appease Radical Left

June 27, 2019

                    Rogers: Democrats Continue to Play Politics with Migrant Lives, Appease Radical Left
WASHINGTON – Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, today released a statement on House Democrats’ continued refusal to compromise on the border crisis:

“For months, Republicans have been sounding the alarm about the unacceptable and highly concerning conditions at the border. Conditions have now deteriorated so much that House Democrats are finally willing to acknowledge there is a crisis that only Congress can fix. But rather than allowing a vote on a supplemental that passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, House Democrats are continuing to play politics with migrant lives. To appease the radical left in their caucus, House Democrats have filled the Senate plan with poison pills.

“This proposal undermines the Department of Defense’s mission at the border. With more than 50 percent of border patrol agents pulled off the line to process and care for migrants, these troops play a critical role in managing the crisis. Further, it cuts funding for overtime pay, a slap in the face to our exhausted and hard-working law enforcement officers. This partisan gamesmanship must stop — migrant lives hang in the balance.”

Background:

  • Rogers introduced H.R. 3056, which funds the administration’s $4.5 billion request for supplemental funding to address the border crisis. H.R. 3056 provides:
    • $3.3 billion for humanitarian assistance including shelter capacity for unaccompanied children, care for children in custody, transportation for safe and efficient border processing centers.
    • $1.1 billion for operational support including personnel, transportation, and resources to combat human smuggling and trafficking.
    • $178 million for technology upgrades and law enforcement pay adjustments to respond to the influx.
  • Democrats have rejected H.R. 3056 18 times.
    • In the past two weeks, Democrats blocked four procedural motions that would have allowed H.R. 3056 to be considered on the House floor.
    • Democrats rejected 12 unanimous consent requests to bring up H.R. 3056.
    • On June 4, Democrats first voted to block Rogers’ H.R. 3056 to be considered as part of the disaster supplemental.
    • On May 9, Democrats rejected a Rogers and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) amendment to provide $4.5 billion in emergency resources for the border.

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