Rep. Paul Cook Votes To Secure the Southern Border

Press Release

Today, Rep. Paul Cook (R -- Apple Valley) voted in support of H.R. 5230 and H.R. 5272. These bills address the ongoing crisis taking place on the southern border by redirecting resources to boost border security and closing a loophole that had prevented illegal immigrants from non-contiguous countries (primarily in Central America) from being swiftly returned to their home countries. Both bills passed out of the House of Representatives and now await action by the United States Senate.

H.R. 5230 provides additional resources to increase the National Guard's presence on the border and to accelerate judicial proceedings by hiring more immigration judges. Additionally, it closes a loophole that prevented hundreds of thousands of children from being quickly reunited with their families in their home countries. Under current law, unaccompanied children from Mexico or Canada can be screened within 48 hours and quickly returned to their home countries. However, children from countries other than Mexico and Canada must go through a time-consuming legal process. Typically, these children wait nearly 600 days for a hearing.

H.R. 5272 aims to eliminate the program most responsible for creating the current border crisis. President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has led to waves of unaccompanied minors entering the United States illegally to take advantage of the amnesty that it offers. DACA was created by the President in 2012 through an executive order, bypassing Congress' constitutional role in creating new laws. H.R. 5272 will put an end to this by immediately freezing all funding for this lawless program.

Cook said, "I'm glad the House stayed in session until this vital legislation was passed. The American people demanded action, and the House was willing to stay in session as long as it took to answer their call. This border crisis is one of the most serious national security issues facing America, and it's a dereliction of duty that the Senate has gone on vacation without addressing the border. The Senate needs to follow the House's example, get back to work, and pass these vital bills. Senators should put the security of America ahead of their summer vacations."

A member of the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Veterans' Affairs Committees, Cook represents San Bernardino, Inyo, and Mono counties.

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