WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), chairman of the Senate Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Tom Cole (R-Okla.), ranking member of the House Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, returned yesterday evening from a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border. The group toured a number of facilities in the Rio Grande Valley and met with officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to hear more about and assess funding needs related to the security and humanitarian crisis there.
“We will soon begin marking up this year’s government spending bills in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and as committee leaders, it was important for us to see firsthand how funds are being used to manage the border crisis and the evolving needs,” Senator Capito said. “The dedicated Homeland Security personnel we met with are doing the best they can to deal with an ever-changing situation, but it’s clear that they need more support. We worked with President Trump to secure an emergency supplemental, but there is still a lot that we need to address. I am committed to delivering much-needed support and hope to provide more sustainable solutions to make sure these men and women have the resources to secure our borders and continue enforcing our immigration laws effectively and humanely.”
“The President’s efforts with Mexico to address the crisis at the southern border are making a tremendous difference,” Senator Blunt said. “I hope we will continue to work with Mexico on the immigration issues facing our two nations. I appreciate the hard work of the men and women at Health and Human Services, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
“During my visit to the southern border, I was grateful to observe the situation and hear directly from those monitoring and managing the various humanitarian and security needs,” Congressman Cole said. “While I am relieved that Congress provided desperately needed emergency aid earlier this summer, members in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle must continue to work together to ensure those serving on the front lines have the resources they need to compassionately confront the crisis and keep our citizens safe.”
Senator Blunt, Congressman Cole, and Senator Capito visit a classroom at an ORR facility in San Benito, Texas, where unaccompanied children attend school while awaiting longer-term placement.
Congressman Cole, Senator Capito, and Senator Blunt tour a temporary CBP processing and holding facility in Donna, Texas, funded through the 2019 border supplemental.
Senator Capito, Senator Blunt, and Congressman Cole visit an existing levee wall in McAllen, Texas.
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