Humanitarian Standards

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge a vote on my bill, the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act, an all-American, value-based, comprehensive public health approach to help CBP address the basic humanitarian needs of children and families under their custody and responsibility.

When I visited our southern border, I saw overworked agents and the meltdown of a system that is understaffed, under-equipped, under- resourced, under-trained, and under-skilled to meet the humanitarian needs of children and families.

That is why my bill identifies humanitarian standards on water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and shelter missing from the administration's emergency supplemental budget request.

My bill requires a clearly defined medical screening for all individuals in CBP custody, and identifies priority groups, like children and seniors, who should receive their screenings within 3 hours of being detained by CBP.

It identifies how many calories a pregnant woman or a child should be given each day, for example, and it requires that CBP provide toothbrushes and diapers, the chance to bathe at least once a day, and meets everyone's basic daily need to drink enough water.

Madam Speaker, I urge my fellow representatives to support these straightforward reforms to prevent the deaths of children, and ensure our treatment of women, children, and families seeking asylum is consistent with the basic principles of human dignity.

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