WASHINGTON — Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee; Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Judy Chu (CA-28), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; and Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on reported Senate negotiations around border funding in the government’s FY2024 Appropriations package:
“We raise our strong opposition to any emergency supplemental funding bill that seeks to establish new immigration and border policy or authorities. Democrats have rebuilt the legal pathways torn down by the last administration and have advanced bipartisan bills through the House that we would like to see pass the Senate and be signed into law. However, trying to appease Republicans with bad border policy attached to critical emergency spending or a continuing resolution will not work and is completely inappropriate. If Republicans really wanted to secure the border, they would work with Democrats to modernize ports of entry, expand legal pathways for migrants, and address the root causes of migration.
"Republicans cannot move their extreme, cruel, unworkable anti-immigrant agenda through the regular legislative process, so they’re trying to make an end-run around Congress and exploit two foreign wars to force it into law. We have been trying their enforcement-only strategy for 30 years, and the results are plain for everyone. We can only solve the complex issue of immigration by addressing it holistically and in a bipartisan manner that deals with our economic, humanitarian, and security needs, not an end-run around Congress for bad policy in a supplemental funding bill.”
