The White House threatened late Monday to veto the $4.5 billion House bill that would provide emergency funding at the border over concerns that legislation in its current form lacks the funds needed for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to function properly and includes provisions thrown in by Democratic lawmakers “that would make our country less safe.”
In a statement issued by the White House Monday night, the administration warned that the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the South Border Act of 2019 would be vetoed this week if passed.
“After ignoring the Administration’s request for desperately needed funding to address the humanitarian crisis at the border for over a month, and despite the efforts of the House minority, the House majority has put forward a partisan bill that underfunds necessary accounts and seeks to take advantage of the current crisis by inserting policy provisions that would make our country less safe,” the statement reads.
EMERGENCY AID BILL CHALLENGES PELOSI’S GRIP ON DEMOCRATS
Some of the provisions added by Democrats include measures that withhold funding from detention centers at the border, which Trump would likely oppose.
“By opposing detention beds—where illegal migrants are placed pending their removal—Democrat lawmakers are declaring their belief that illegal immigrants, including those who skip court hearings or commit additional crimes, should be allowed to remain in our country indefinitely," the White House statement continued.
The push to pass the bill comes as reports of child deaths after being detained at the border continue to grow.
Customs and Border Protection Chief Operating Officer John Sanders told The Associated Press last week that children have died after being in the agency's care. He said Border Patrol stations are holding 15,000 people — more than triple their maximum capacity of 4,000.
The White House statement also seemed to take aim a Democratic amendment of the bill submitted by Rep. Judy Chu, D - Calif., that would prohibit any funds from being used by the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Health and Human Services “for the purposes of housing unaccompanied children at the army base at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.”
“This base was used as a Japanese internment camp during World War II,” the amendment reads.
The administration argued Monday that such a provision would in fact work against the safety of children as it would undermine the “ability of HHS to develop additional UAC influx capacity, which risks requiring children to remain in DHS custody for longer periods of time.”
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Congress plans to leave Washington in a few days for a weeklong July 4 recess. While lawmakers don’t want to depart without acting on the legislation for fear of being accused of not responding to humanitarian problems at the border, it seems unlikely that Congress would have time to send a House-Senate compromise to Trump by week’s end.
“Because this bill does not provide adequate funding to meet the current crisis, and because it contains partisan provisions designed to hamstring the Administration’s border enforcement efforts, the Administration opposes its passage,” the White House said.
Fox News Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-threatens-veto-on-current-house-emergency-aid-bill-that-would-make-our-country-less-safe
2019-06-25 10:17:20Z
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