WASHINGTON—Heritage Action opposes the topline spending deal announced over the weekend, which fails to make necessary spending cuts or commit to ending the border crisis by passing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. Heritage Action Executive Vice President Ryan Walker sent the following statement to conservative lawmakers today:
“The American people are begging Congress to secure the border and rein in the unprecedented government spending and woke policies that are making it impossible for them to afford basics like groceries and gas. As reported, the spending framework does neither. Conservative lawmakers should not support appropriations bills that perpetuate Biden’s destructive economic agenda while funding the ongoing invasion at our borders.
“We commend Speaker Johnson’s work to improve upon prior spending agreements by further reducing spending at the IRS and clawing back some useless COVID-19 spending, but the topline numbers remain far too high. While negotiating FY24 spending, any bill that addresses or funds the border or immigration policy—like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill—should include H.R. 2 in its entirety.
“Agreeing to fund DHS with fragments of H.R. 2’s provisions would do nothing to stymie the chaos. Lawmakers should not provide additional funding to the Biden DHS while allowing Secretary Mayorkas to continue encouraging asylum fraud, granting mass immigration parole and work authorization, employing catch-and-release, paying NGOs to transport illegal aliens throughout the country, or enticing unaccompanied alien children (UACs) to come to the border by allowing them to stay in the U.S.
“Finally, the House should move forward with securing our border regardless of the Lankford-Mayorkas deal that’s percolating in the Senate. We know that deal will ultimately be tied to the White House’s supplemental funding package, which sticks taxpayers with another $110.5 billion in reckless spending, most of which will be shipped overseas. Worse, the measure will be a ‘compromise’ on border security, negotiated by the very Cabinet secretary set to be impeached for actions and inactions on these very issues—Secretary Mayorkas. It’s time lawmakers stop pretending this bill is relevant to the conversation ahead of us and reject it outright.
“The way forward for conservatives is clear: Reject measures that betray the promises you made to cut reckless spending and force the Biden administration to close the border. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse for a reason—to pull those purse strings when the executive branch refuses to follow the law.”
BACKGROUND:
Heritage Action: H.R. 2 is the Only Solution to Securing the Border
Heritage Action: Conservatives Should Oppose the Senate’s Unserious Supplemental Package
The Heritage Foundation: Budget Gimmicks Masquerading as Spending Cuts
Fox News: Conservative Coalition Warns Leaders Against ‘Watering Down’ Border Measures to Clinch Spending Deal