Condemning the Use of Elementary and Secondary School Facilities to Provide Shelter for Aliens Who Are Not Admitted to the United States

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 461, a harmful resolution that condemns public schools for showing humanity in helping vulnerable people.

Listening to this debate, it sounds like my colleagues are interested in working on some bipartisan migration reform. We would welcome that-- policies that would help our immigration system run more smoothly and effectively--but that is not what we are doing here today.

Throughout this Congress, I have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim that American education is in crisis. Are there needs in our public schools? Absolutely. We need more mental health counselors, we need resources to address mislearning and policies to address gun violence, but is that what the majority is focusing on? No.

When my Republican colleagues felt threatened by the accurate teaching of history, they passed legislation that provides a blueprint for book bans. When my Republican colleagues felt threatened by the Biden administration's inclusive interpretation of Title IX, what did they do? They passed legislation to ostracize trans students and allow discrimination in sports. When my colleagues felt uncomfortable about reducing the crushing debt burden faced by students who choose to go to college, they passed legislation to wipe out relief and plunge more borrowers into financial distress.

What is their focus today? Picking on desperate people who are fleeing war, violence, and abject poverty in search of a better life for themselves and their children.

Now, the Republicans are threatening Federal funding to schools. That is funding that is intended to support all students. I won't support the harmful scapegoating of migrants and repeated attacks on marginalized communities, and I won't support actions that delegitimize our public schools.

These are the only schools that have an obligation to serve all students and families, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability status, ability to pay, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or any other characteristic. Our public schools are for everyone.

What I will support and what I repeatedly expressed an eagerness and enthusiasm to work on are substantive, positive evidence-based solutions that make schools safer, improve opportunities for students from all backgrounds, and enhance the quality and frequency of parents' and families' involvement in their children's education.

Madam Speaker, I welcome those conversations. I am disappointed that we keep finding ourselves engaged in culture wars with the majority putting politics over people instead of passing policies that help students, their families, and our communities.

At a time when we have an opportunity to demonstrate compassion and empathy, this resolution takes us in the wrong direction. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to reject this resolution. Let's put humanity first. Let's focus on what really truly helps public education. General Leave

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source