Heritage Action supports the House-passed Amendment to provide Border Security Funding and will include the vote on the Motion to Proceed as a key vote on our legislative scorecard.
On Thursday, President Trump announced that he will not sign the continuing resolution passed by the Senate on Wednesday as it does not contain funding to secure the border. House lawmakers listened to the President’s warning and passed a stop-gap funding measure that includes $5.7 billion for border security. Now, Senate lawmakers will have the opportunity to follow suit and vote on the House-passed amendment to include border security funding.
The President is absolutely right to fight for border security. The first duty of government is to defend its people and sovereign territory, yet the Washington establishment seems unable to do this.
Increased border security funding would reduce the amount of people coming into the U.S. illegally. Instead of illegal immigrants being able to slip through the various cracks along our border, building a wall would give Border Patrol another tool in their efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants before they enter the United States.
In regards to border security, Senior Legal Fellow Hans A. Von Spakovsky of The Heritage Foundation says,
The only acceptable way of ensuring the funding for enhanced border security that Trump wants (and the country needs) is if Congress provides an immediate appropriation—not just an authorization for future funds—of $25 billion. If funding is what the White House wants, then that is what it should demand from Congress: an appropriation. And that appropriation needs to also include funds for interior enforcement, not just border security.
Recent polling shows that voters agree with President Trump’s views on securing the border, and the final funding bill should fund the President’s request for the border wall. It is time for Congress and the Administration to crack down on illegal immigration and the harmful policies that have negatively impacted the lives of all Americans. That is why Republicans must support a spending bill that secures the southern border.
In October, Heritage Action laid out conservative priorities on immigration and Department of Homeland Security Funding, particularly wall funding. During the lame duck session, we have advocated for funding the President’s request on the border (here, here and here). The American people have been clear—they want the border secure. It is time to fund the President’s border security plan.
Related:
Statement on the Senate’s Short-Term Continuing Resolution
Conservative Opportunities in the 2018 Lame Duck
Heritage Foundation: Immigration Legislation Should Stress Border Security and Enforcement, Not Incentivize Bad Behavior
Heritage Foundation: Immigration Law and Enforcement in Dire Need of Clarity and Major Overhaul
Heritage Foundation: How Congress Can Start to Fix Our Broken Immigration System
Heritage Action supports the House-passed Amendment to provide Border Security Funding and will include the vote on the Motion to Proceed as a key vote on our legislative scorecard.