The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S4563 on June 26, 2019.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND
SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, this morning, Americans woke up to a picture of a 25-year-old father lying facedown, holding his infant daughter. They both drowned crossing the Rio Grande River. The border policies implemented by this administration have life or death consequences. Congress should be doing everything in its power to make sure that our southern border is safe and secure and that asylum seekers are treated with dignity and respect.
I share the horror of my constituents in Maryland about the squalid and inhumane conditions in which children are being held at the border. We have an obligation to provide resources to ensure the safety of these children, but this administration has demonstrated only callousness towards migrants seeking asylum at our border, and we have an obligation as a coequal branch of government with the power of the purse to ensure that the resources we provide are spent responsibly and deliver real care. While I appreciate the guardrails that Senators Leahy and Shelby negotiated in this bill, I believe that the House-
passed package has stronger restrictions that will better protect children and families at the border.
Also, as I said to my colleagues when we marked up this bill, I have serious concerns with this administration's repeated practice of transferring funding from the purpose that we appropriate to meet its own ends. Today, a group of constituents stopped by my office seeking reassurance that this funding would not be used for interior enforcement. They were understandably fearful of the President's threats of widespread raids and mass deportations. While this bill prohibits transfers within DHS on this supplemental funding, I cannot fully reassure my constituents because the administration could still transfer other FY19 funds to support its draconian immigration agenda.
I have visited the border, and I have seen the tragedy the President's policies have created there. His family separation policy is a dark mark on our Nation's history. His Justice Department has argued that toothbrushes, soap, and even sleep are not necessary for the well-being of children. It is clear that Congress cannot simply trust this administration to do the right thing.
I urge my colleagues to work to include the stronger House-passed restrictions to protect children's safety and to strengthen restrictions on reprogramming as we continue our appropriations process.
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