[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 5, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3223-S3224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BORDER SECURITY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, in addition to 
nominations, there are a number of other important items that Congress 
ought to be able to tackle in the next several weeks. As I have 
mentioned several times, we need continued negotiations in the Senate, 
the House, and the White House toward a bipartisan government funding 
agreement to set up the appropriations process. We will also need to 
complete a National Defense Authorization Act to address critical 
national security challenges, rebuild our military's readiness, and 
modernize our Armed Forces to address the growing challenges posed by 
great-power competitors like Russia and China.
  The headlines remain filled with the unacceptable, unsustainable 
security crisis and humanitarian crisis down on our southern border. By 
now, I am confident that every Member of Congress has heard the 
breathtaking numbers. We have all heard the chaos analyzed 1,000 
different ways.

[[Page S3224]]

  What we haven't seen is any appetite on the Democratic side for 
actually getting an outcome. We haven't seen the Democrats put aside 
their reflexive opposition to anything--anything--the President 
requests and face the facts.
  So allow me to repeat some of those facts yet again. We are all 
hoping they will sink in some time soon. One week ago this morning, 
border agents encountered the largest group of people attempting an 
illegal crossing that they have ever, ever seen. They apprehended more 
than 1,000 individuals--the largest group ever.
  For consecutive months now, the men and women who guard our border 
have apprehended more than 100,000 people--100,000. That is each 
month--100,000 a month. We are talking about numbers not seen for more 
than a decade. And, as we all know, in particular, the amount of 
families and children are consistently record-breaking as well.
  The officials whom we trust to protect our borders--not to mention 
feed, clothe, and house these individuals--have been crying out for 
months that their Agencies are stretched literally to the breaking 
point. One processing center that was designed to hold 125 is said to 
hold 900--900. The Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement has 
predicted that the program for unaccompanied children may exhaust all 
of its funding this month--this month--and need to reduce operations.
  Here is one newspaper reporting on testimony from the head of the 
Border Patrol:

       The flood of migrants has overwhelmed Border Patrol 
     stations and other Federal facilities, forcing immigration 
     agents to release migrants directly into U.S. border 
     communities with only the hope that they will appear for 
     their immigration court hearings.

  So this funding crisis is directly weakening our border security and 
national security. It is directly worsening the conditions for these 
men, women, and children, and the authorities are pleading for our 
help.
  I dare say there are not many occasions when the editorial board of 
the New York Times has chosen to side with the Trump administration, 
but this crisis is so bad and the next step is so obvious that it has 
united President Trump, Republicans here in Congress, and the New York 
Times editorial page. I doubt if we will see that again.
  Here was the title of their editorial about a month ago: ``Congress, 
Give Trump His Border Money.'' They described:

       A humanitarian crisis of overcrowding, disease, and chaos. 
     . . . As resources are strained and the system buckles, the 
     misery grows.

  They published that editorial while we were finalizing the disaster 
funding legislation. There was no reason why the funds to alleviate the 
humanitarian crisis at the border should not have been included in that 
bill, and yet my friend, the Democratic leader, came to the floor 
multiple times late last month to call the issue of border funding 
``extraneous.''
  Addressing the security crisis and humanitarian crisis is not 
extraneous. It is essential. Migrants are experiencing overcrowded and 
underequipped facilities. Our law enforcement humanitarian 
professionals are crying out for help.
  Look, I understand our Democratic colleagues find it extremely 
difficult to put partisanship aside and work with the President the 
American people elected. I think the whole country sees very clearly 
that Democrats in Congress seem to prefer picking fights with this 
President to actually getting much done. Their partisan spite must not 
prolong this misery any longer. As long as Democrats continue to drag 
their feet on this crisis, as long as they keep slow-walking funding 
that everyone from President Trump to the New York Times sees is 
necessary, then, my colleagues across the aisle will continue to own 
the consequences. It is on them.
  I hope my Democratic colleagues will allow this legislation to move 
forward--no more poison-pill policy riders, no more political 
posturing. It is way past time for action.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cramer). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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