June 19, 2019

MANCHIN VOTES FOR $4.6 BILLION TO DEAL WITH CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) voted today in the Senate Appropriations Committee to pass the bipartisan Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border. This funding is in response to the President’s request in May for $4.5 billion in emergency funding to respond to the humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border.

“Today I am glad this Committee was able to come to a bipartisan agreement to address the humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border. It’s impossible to make progress in any negotiation when either side insists on getting 100% of what they want. I know it was not easy to find common ground on the President’s supplemental funding request. But I am thankful we did. I was grateful to have the opportunity recently to meet with Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Sanders to discuss CBP’s priorities for the supplemental request. He shared how this influx of migrants is different from what they have seen in the past and why they don’t have the resources to handle it. This problem at the border is bigger than party. We only hurt ourselves when we withhold resources from our hardworking frontline agents. And I think we can all agree it is wrong to put children in inhumane circumstances.  I know as a Christian and a father I feel for these children. That’s why I was glad to vote for this critical funding package out of the Appropriations Committee,” Senator Manchin said.

The bill includes $4.6 billion in supplemental funding to deal with the crisis at the Southern Border.  Language included in the bill require the President to use the funds as they have been appropriated and not shift them to other priorities.  Funding in the bill includes:

  • $2.88 billion for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to care for migrant children and help place them with sponsor families quickly, minimizing time in federal facilities.  This funding also includes:
    • $8 million to facilitate case management for unaccompanied children and speed up placement with sponsors
  • $1.34 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to improve conditions at the border and alleviate overcrowding and CBP facilities that have led to inhumane conditions for the men, women, and children in U.S. government care.  This funding includes:
    • $1.1 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
    • $209 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including:
      • $20 million for alternatives to detention
    • $30 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide grants to nonprofits who care for migrants released from CBP custody
  • $220 million for the Department of Justice (DOJ), including:
    • $65 million for the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) to improve and expedite the asylum process through an additional 30 immigration judge teams, courtroom space, and funds for the Legal Orientation Program
  • $144 million for the Department of Defense (DOD)

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