Congressional leaders say there is no decision yet on a bill to
deal with the influx of migrant children from Central America
crossing over the U.S. border with Mexico.
President Barack Obama has asked Congress for $3.7 billion
in emergency funding to help shelter the children, provide
more immigration judges and boost border security, but
Republicans have said they will not give the president a
“blank check.”
With hundreds of children from Central America coming into
the United States each day, Obama is asking Congress to take
urgent action. But any such bill would likely originate in the
Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives.
House Speaker John Boehner told reporters Thursday that
House Republicans have not yet decided what kind of bill to
put forward.
“We don’t have a bill yet.," he said "We are having a lot of
discussions, and we are going to continue those discussions.”
Boehner says he is listening to a task force headed by
Republican Representative Kay Granger and House
Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers. Rogers, Boehner and
other Republicans have indicated that the House would be
unlikely to approve even a much more modest funding bill
than the president asked for, unless changes are made to a
2008 anti-human-trafficking law that gives migrant children
the right to stay in the United States until they can have a
court appearance.
“I don’t know how Congress can send more money to the
border to begin to mitigate the problem if you don’t do
something about the [20]08 law that is being abused, and it is
being abused,” Boehner said.
Most Democratic lawmakers in Congress are calling for quick
approval of the funding, but many strongly oppose any
changes to the 2008 law.
“I am rarely surprised around here, but it is stunning to me
how the Republicans have tried to politicize this issue - not
all of them,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi called on Congress to focus on the best interests of the
children, and said many face threats to their lives in their
home countries.
Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar and Republican
Senator John Cornyn are co-sponsoring a bill that would
treat migrant children from Central America the same as
children from Mexico, who can now be deported immediately.
But it is not clear the new bill will win support.
At a Senate hearing Thursday, Democratic Senator Barbara
Boxer said the problem is bigger than just Congress can
handle.
“This is not just an American problem, it is a regional
problem," she said. "And I don’ t believe we can solve it on
our own, nor should we. I am talking about a regional summit
at the highest of levels.”
Bruce Swartz of the U.S. Department of Justice agreed that a
regional summit would make sense.
“The Mexican attorney general has suggested that we have a
meeting of the attorneys generals of the region to address this
issue, and [U.S.] Attorney General [Eric] Holder very much
welcomes that opportunity as well,” she said.
The countries involved include the United States, Mexico, El
Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
Both Republicans and Democrats have said they would like to
address the border crisis issue before they leave for a month-
long break in August, but there are only a few legislative days
left to act.
More from the topic News / USA
Listen
NEWS / USA
Immigrants who have been caught crossing the border
illegally are housed inside the McAllen Border Patrol Station in
McAllen,Texas, July 15, 2014, where they are processed.
Comments