U.S. Lawmakers From Arizona Divided On Humanitarian Aid To Border

By Holliday Moore
Published: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - 12:22pm
Updated: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - 2:56pm

migrants that have crossed the Rio Grande surrender to U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
As the sun sets near McAllen Texas, migrants that have crossed the Rio Grande surrender to U.S. Border Patrol near an area known as Rincon in June 2019.

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved $4.5 billion in humanitarian aid to help with the immigrant crisis at the southern border.

The bill passed along party lines with Rep. David Schweikert among Republicans voting against it.

“It’s actually sort of heartbreaking that it is just laced with poison pills and I think even the White House has said that they can’t support it,” Schweikert said.

Democrats said they could support the bill so long as it had rules on how the money will be spent.

“There’s restrictions on where the transference of money and how it can be used,” said Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego. “So that way, the president doesn’t cause a worse situation by raiding this fund to fund his stupid border wall, to fund more ICE agents that aren’t going to solve the problem.”

Other Democrats such as Rep. Raul Grijalva agreed that it may be helpful to place what he calls “guard rails” on the aid funding and spending, but warned the President may challenge those rules.

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