Ayotte Votes Against Senate Democrats' Border Spending Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte tonight voted against moving forward with the Senate Democrats' $3.6 billion spending bill, which does not include any policy reforms to address the current crisis on the southern border.

The Senate Majority Leader tonight refused to allow Senators to offer any amendments to the bill. Ayotte is cosponsoring an amendment (S.A. 3719) that would end the president's 2012 executive action to suspend the deportation of certain individuals who entered the country illegally as minors, which has contributed to the influx of unaccompanied minors into the U.S.

"I voted against the Senate Democrats' bill because it does nothing to change current law, which has created incentives for people to enter our country illegally," said Senator Ayotte. "We need real reforms to address the border crisis, and I'm disappointed that the Senate Majority Leader blocked Senators from offering proposals that would actually help solve the problem and more responsibly target funding toward border security."

Senator Ayotte is also cosponsoring a separate bill, the CREST Act, which would change a 2008 law to allow for the expedited return of unaccompanied minors to their home countries, increase the number of immigration judges to more quickly dispose of cases, establish requirements to ensure individuals appear in court, and set conditions on foreign aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

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