Page 8 - DVG

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 26 June 2019

House looks set to pass emergency

funding bill for migrants

By ANDREW TAYLOR and Democratic leaders ap- not be shifted to Trump’s
ALAN FRAM peared confident that they border wall and would
Associated Press had quelled a mini-revolt block information on spon-
WASHINGTON (AP) — by progressives and Hispan- sors of immigrant children
House Democrats were ic lawmakers who sought from being used to deport
teeing up a vote Tuesday significant changes to the them. Trump would be de-
night on a $4.5 billion emer- legislation. New provisions nied additional funding for
gency border aid pack- added to the bill Tuesday Immigration and Customs
age to care for thousands were more modest than Enforcement detention
of migrant families and what those lawmakers had beds.
Protesters gather to demand the defunding of government unaccompanied children sought, but a full-court “This is strictly a supplemen-
agencies for border protection and customs enforcement, detained after crossing the press by Speaker Nancy tal that’s in response to a
Tuesday, June 25, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Associated Press U.S.-Mexico border. Pelosi, D-Calif., and other humanitarian crisis that is
party leaders seemed to taking place right now,”
quiet the rebellion. said Rep. Lucille Roybal-
Passage of the House bill Allard, D-Calif., one of the
would set up a showdown authors of the bill. She said
with the Republican-led language in the measure
Senate, which may in- limits the use of the funding
stead force Democrats to “food, clothing, better
to send Trump a different, shelter facilities and so on.”
and broadly bipartisan, The White House is threat-
companion measure in ening to veto the House
coming days as the cham- bill, saying it would ham-
bers race to wrap up the string the administration’s
must-do legislation by the border security efforts,
end of the week. “The Sen- and the Senate’s top Re-
ate has a good bill. Our publican suggested Tues-
bill is much better,” Pelosi day that the House should
told her Democratic col- simply accept the Senate
leagues in a meeting Tues- measure — which received
day morning, according to only a single “nay” vote
a senior Democratic aide during a committee vote
who spoke on condition of last week.
anonymity to describe the “The idea here is to get a
private session. “You can (presidential) signature, so I
find fault with any bill that think once we can get that
comes down the pike, but out of the Senate, hopefully
we must respect the bill for on a vote similar to the one
what is does rather criticize in the Appropriations Com-
it for what it does not.” mittee, I’m hoping that the
The bill contains more than House will conclude that’s
$1 billion to shelter and the best way to get the
feed migrants detained by problem solved, which can
the border patrol and al- only happen with a signa-
most $3 billion to care for ture,” said Senate Majority
unaccompanied migrant Leader Mitch McConnell,
children who are turned R-Ky. Congress plans to
over the Department of leave Washington in a few
Health and Human Servic- days for a weeklong July 4
es. It seeks to mandate im- recess, and pressure is in-
proved standards of care tense to wrap up the leg-
at HHS “influx shelters” that islation before then. Agen-
house children waiting to cies are about to run out of
be placed with sponsors money and failure to act
such as family members in could bring a swift political
the U.S. rebuke and accusations of
Both House and Senate ignoring the plight of inno-
bills ensure funding could cent immigrant children.q