Continuing Appropriations and Border Security Enhancement Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5525, the so-called spending reduction and border security act.

You want border security, Mr. Speaker, let's do comprehensive immigration reform. Let's do it the way Ronald Reagan did it back in the day: He looked at everybody, all the families, and allowed the men to work and contribute to our economy.

This is a reprehensible and irascible spending bill that slashes critical resources from working-class families.

House Republicans are defunding law enforcement. The so-called party of public safety is now defunding law enforcement. So if something is happening in your district or your neighborhood and you call the police and they are late, law enforcement should blame it on these cuts. The response time will be impacted dramatically.

Social Security offices will be closing. Yes, I have seen the lines going around the block with seniors as early as 6 o'clock in the morning.

Guess what? They will be closing.

This bill is taking food out of children's mouths, and the mouths of families, impacting Title 1 schools with poverty levels--never seen before poverty levels, and Title 3 students, English language learners, and taking thousands upon thousands of teachers out of the classroom. Is this the way to avoid a shutdown?

This is a way to hurt families--working-class families, middle-class families--that depend on these vital programs, Mr. Speaker, to survive and move forward.

Nearly 150,000 teachers and service providers will be removed from the classroom serving low-income students and students with disabilities.

In addition to that, approximately 275,000 kids will lose access to Head Start--Head Start, the only surviving program from the sixties that gives a head start to children will be cut.

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