New Dems Urge Speaker McCarthy to Bring Administration’s Supplemental Request to the Floor to Address the Border and the Fentanyl Crisis
The Administration’s request followed the Coalition’s push to secure the border and address the fentanyl crisis
Last week, New Democrat Coalition (NDC) Immigration and Border Security Task Force Chair Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) led a letter urging Speaker McCarthy to bring the Administration’s proposed supplemental funding legislation to the House floor next month. The Administration’s request provides $4 billion to secure the border and streamline immigration processes in addition to nearly $800 million to address the flow of illicit fentanyl into the country.
New Dems are working with the Administration to advance durable solutions to the issues facing us at our southern border. Following the release of the Administration’s supplemental funding request, Chair Stanton and Rep. Vasquez applauded the Administration for building on the Coalition’s work and pledged to work across the aisle to advance the critical funding effort.
“Border communities cannot wait—they need support from the federal government now. I am grateful the Administration has requested funding to secure our border and ensure a humane, orderly migration system,” Stanton said. “New Dems stand ready to reach across the aisle to get this done, and I encourage Speaker McCarthy to bring it to the floor as soon as Congress returns.”
“I have been calling on the Administration and Congress to deliver resources to our border communities and I stand ready to pass this funding into law. I urge the Speaker to bring it up for a vote,” said Vasquez. “Ensuring our communities are safe starts at the point of entry – with supporting our border communities. We need to ensure our frontline agents are properly resourced, so they are able to address the fentanyl crisis head-on. I look forward to working across the aisle to support our border agents and communities.”
28 Members signed onto the letter to Speaker McCarthy, which reads in part:
“Securing our nation’s southern border is a shared responsibility for all members of Congress. We ask that you expeditiously bring this supplemental appropriations package before the House. The critical investments in the legislation provide $4 billion in funding for DHS to bolster border security operations, deliver essential assistance to migrants, and expand deployment of NII to interdict illicit fentanyl.”
You can read the full letter to Speaker McCarthy here and below:
Dear Speaker McCarthy,
We write to you today requesting that you bring the President’s proposed supplemental appropriations legislation to the House floor during the September work period. This legislation funds $4 billion in border security measures, migrant assistance, and anti-smuggling technology as part of the full supplemental appropriations request addressing disaster response and our national security. We strongly support these critical investments to expand counter-fentanyl activities and strengthen efforts to maintain a secure southern border.
Earlier this year, we wrote in support of emergency supplemental appropriations, recognizing the dire need for additional funding for Customs and Border Protection at the border, enhanced technology to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, and added resources to support a safe and humane immigration process. We appreciate the Administration submitting this request to Congress and urge you to bring it before the House for a vote during the upcoming work period.
Illicit substances like fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids have wreaked havoc on communities throughout the country for years. In 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, with two-thirds of those deaths coming from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Taking proactive steps to combat fentanyl trafficking will save lives. Specifically, deploying Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at ports of entry will prevent hundreds of thousands of pounds in illicit synthetic opioids from ever reaching our communities over the next year. We strongly support the request for $416 million to expedite the deployment of this technology at ports of entry along our southern border.
It is also imperative to ensure that DHS, HHS, and other federal agencies have the proper resources and personnel to accomplish their mission of maintaining border security while assisting refugees and processing migrants. The Administration’s request for an additional $4 billion for border management, immigration processing, and other programs will significantly contribute to DHS’s ability to efficiently process migrants at ports of entry, and to provide essential resources to recently released migrants through initiatives like the Shelter and Services Program.
Securing our nation’s southern border is a shared responsibility for all members of Congress. We ask that you expeditiously bring this supplemental appropriations package before the House. The critical investments in the legislation provide $4 billion in funding for DHS to bolster border security operations, deliver essential assistance to migrants, and expand deployment of NII to interdict illicit fentanyl.
In addition, we strongly support the requests for additional funding to aid Ukraine in their fight against the Russian invasion and strengthen wildfire response and disaster recovery. These requests, in combination with those for border security, will save American lives and safeguard our democratic values.
As elected Representatives, our top priority is to ensure the protection and well-being of our constituents. We advocated for this funding request because we know these resources will save lives, improve security at the southern border, and make our communities safer. We urge you to allow the House to vote on these critical resources and deliver for the American people.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
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