Rep. Angie Craig Calls on House Leadership to Move Quickly on Border Security Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Angie Craig is calling on congressional leadership to move quickly on border security legislation.
Rep. Craig joined 34 Members of Congress in writing to congressional leadership, requesting a timely vote on a comprehensive bipartisan border security package.
As part of her call for action, Rep. Craig is pushing to increase funding to secure the border, ensure a humane and orderly immigration process and stop the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States.
“We understand emergency funding is necessary to secure our border, ensure a humane and orderly immigration process and stop the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States,” wrote the Members.
“Securing our nation’s southern border is a bipartisan goal, and the shared responsibility of all Members of Congress. We ask that you swiftly bring this important package to a vote on the floor,” they continued.
Full text of the letter can be found here or copied below.
October 26, 2023
The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, Minority Leaders McConnell and Jeffries,
We urge you to quickly bring a bipartisan border security package reflecting the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 emergency supplemental request to the House and Senate floor. As members of the New Democrat Coalition, we understand emergency funding is necessary to secure our border, ensure a humane and orderly immigration process, and stop the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States.
President Biden has put forth a strong and comprehensive border security package in his supplemental request.
The requested $13.6 billion investment would:
Increase boots on the ground at the border.
The request ensures the Department of Homeland Security has the additional resources and personnel to accomplish their mission of maintaining border security while assisting refugees and processing migrants, including funds to hire an additional 1,300 border patrol agents.
Improve the processing of asylum cases.
The request includes funding to hire 375 new immigration judge teams and 1,600 asylum officers to tackle the significant backlog straining our immigration courts that has severely delayed resolutions, often for years at a time.
Support local governments and nonprofits.
The request includes $1.4 billion for the depleted Shelter and Services Program which reimburses already-overstretched local governments and nonprofits who provide essential resources to recently released migrants.
Address the illicit fentanyl crisis.
The request includes funding to hire an additional 1,000 officers focused on counter-fentanyl efforts and to purchase cutting-edge technology to stop the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States. Deaths related to the use of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have risen by nearly 200% in the past decade, affecting nearly every American community in the process. Each of these investments will reduce illicit fentanyl trafficking and save lives.
Securing our nation’s southern border is a bipartisan goal, and the shared responsibility of all members of Congress. We ask that you swiftly bring this important package to a vote on the floor.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
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