Lankford Supports House Bills to Secure the Border

Statement

Representative James Lankford (R-Okla.) voted to support H.R. 5230, which fixes the loophole in law the President cites as the reason for the influx of more than 60,000 migrants from Central America. The measure provides short-term supplemental funding to ensure border security personnel have the resources they need to properly enforce the law. The House's border security funding package provides supplemental funding through the end of the current fiscal year, September 30, 2014.

The Congressman also supported H.R. 5272, which immediately prevents federal agencies or departments from issuing any new guidance, memoranda, regulations or policies that would expand deferred action to individuals who are in the U.S. illegally.

"After hundreds of phone calls, emails and letters from Oklahomans over the past month asking me to immediately address the children housed at Ft. Sill and to find a solution for the national security issues at our southern border, I strongly supported the House's border bills today," said Lankford.

"House Republicans took the first important step today toward a real solution to our border security issues by passing legislation to actually resolve ambiguities in the law and return unaccompanied migrant children to their home countries as soon as possible. The House's $694 million bill is fully paid for, and costs $3 billion less than the President's initial request.The funding provides for the National Guard, expedited processing and temporary housing of unaccompanied minors.

"The House bill passed tonight requires expedited due process hearings and removal of individuals, if warranted, who are here illegally. That provision is accompanied by $40 million in reprogrammed foreign aid funds to Central American countries. The bill deploys the National Guard to reinforce existing Customs and Border Patrol personnel and ensures states will be reimbursed for those costs. The bill also fixes gray areas in the 2008 anti-trafficking law the President has used to delay action.

"I also supported the provision passed by the House today that immediately prevents any federal agency or department from further expanding deferred action to individuals who are in the U.S. illegally.

"Last night, Senate Democrats considered their own border funding bill but could not come to a consensus, so they left town without taking action. Though it took the House an extra day to get the text right and pass a border bill, it is clear we were willing to stay and finish. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to immediately consider our proposal in good faith and help us actually solve this problem for the American people," concluded Lankford.

Source