Zero border-state Democrats join effort to oppose amnesty funding in spending bill
Press Release
WASHINGTON--On Wednesday, all 39 border-state House Republicans -- led by Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) -- unanimously called for House and Senate leadership to remove amnesty and any funding that will encourage more illegal immigration from H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act.
Not one House Democrat would join, despite the clear Border crisis created by the Biden Administration's willful refusal to faithfully execute the laws.
"This border crisis afflicts the entire nation and all its communities, but as representatives of southern border states at the epicenter of the crisis, our communities are bearing the brunt of it," the letter reads. "We therefore urge you in the strongest possible terms to remove from the legislation any policies that will incentivize more illegal immigration, including any form of legal status, tax credits, or other benefits for illegal immigrants."
The letter was a unanimously signed by Republicans from all four states on the Southwest Border. While the letter was open to Democrats from those states, not a single one joined in publicly saying that the federal government should not be funding amnesty or other incentives to illegal immigration in the middle of a massive crisis at the border.
The Build Back Better Act fails to address the Biden administration's border crisis. Instead, it incentivizes more to come here illegally by granting amnesty, expanding benefits to illegal immigrants, and eliminating the requirement for illegal immigrants to have a social security number to be eligible for child tax credits.
"Our nation is facing the largest border security crisis in history, as evidenced by the 213,593 illegal migrants encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at our southern border in July and the staggering 1.73 million encountered this fiscal year -- the highest ever recorded," the letter adds. "We cannot afford to create new incentives to illegal migration in the midst of this crisis. Unfortunately, H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act includes roughly $100 billion for provisions related to immigration, including amnesty."
Full text of the letter is available at the link here and below:
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
Speaker Majority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives United States Senate
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer,
Our nation is facing the largest border security crisis in history, as evidenced by the 213,593 illegal migrants encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at our southern border in July and the staggering 1.73 million encountered this fiscal year - the highest ever recorded.[1] These encounters, however, do not paint the full picture of endangered migrants, abused and exploited by cartels for profit, and of Americans, especially in border states who work through desperation to manage car chases, break-ins, cut fences, lost livestock, and increased crime. They don't tell the story of an overworked CBP, hundreds of thousands of often dangerous "got-aways," or the thousands of pounds of drugs - especially fentanyl -- that is poisoning and killing our youth. We cannot afford to create new incentives to illegal migration in the midst of this crisis.
Unfortunately, H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act includes roughly $100 billion for provisions related to immigration, including amnesty.[2] This would be particularly harmful given that past amnesty efforts were coupled with enforcement, which this bill fails to address in the slightest. Additionally, any provision providing for legal status to illegal immigrants to address objections offered by the Senate parliamentarian, including by expanding parole authority -- building upon the roughly 30,000 paroles granted since August -- will provide an outcome without much difference and will give even more reason for people from all over the world to rush our southern border. Moreover, in addition to other concerns, this bill seeks to expand benefits to illegal immigrants. For example, the bill eliminates the need for a social security number to demonstrate eligibility for child tax credits, providing an enormous incentive for illegal immigration.
This border crisis afflicts the entire nation and all its communities, but as representatives of southern border states at the epicenter of the crisis, our communities are bearing the brunt of it. We therefore urge you in the strongest possible terms to remove from the legislation any policies that will incentivize more illegal immigration, including any form of legal status, tax credits, or other benefits for illegal immigrants.
Sincerely,
Chip Roy
Member of Congress
Kevin McCarthy
Member of Congress
Andy Biggs
Member of Congress
Yvette Herrell
Member of Congress
Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress
Brian Babin, D.D.S
Member of Congress
Beth Van Duyne
Member of Congress
Darrell Issa
Member of Congress
Louie Gohmert
Member of Congress
Jake Ellzey
Member of Congress
Randy Weber
Member of Congress
Lance Gooden
Member of Congress
Tom McClintock
Member of Congress
Michael Cloud
Member of Congress
Van Taylor
Member of Congress
Jay Obernolte
Member of Congress
Paul A. Gosar
Member of Congress
Jodey C. Arrington
Member of Congress
Debbie Lesko
Member of congress
Michael T. McCaul
Member of Congress
Kevin Brady
Member of Congress
Pete Sessions
Member of Congress
Pat Fallon
Member of Congress
David Schweikert
Member of Congress
Ken Calvert
Member of Congress
Doug LaMalfa
Member of Congress
Austin Pfluger
Member of Congress
Ronny Jackson
Member of Congress
John R. Carter
Member of Congress
Michelle Steel
Member of Congress
Troy E. Nehls
Member of Congress
Kay Granger
Member of Congress
Roger Williams
Member of Congress
Dan Crenshaw
Member of Congress
Young Kim
Member of Congress
Mike Garcia
Member of Congress
Devin Nunes
Member of Congress
David G. Valadao
Member of Congress
Tony Gonzales
Member of Congress
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