Continuing Appropriations and Border Security Enhancement Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that I am standing here again having to remind my colleagues that we are a nation of immigrants. I am going to come to this podium each time my Republican colleagues have amnesia about where their families came from or try to scapegoat the immigrant community.

Introducing a continuing resolution that cuts services and deports unaccompanied children, ending asylum, and jailing families betrays a truth about my colleagues.

They are more willing to scapegoat and sacrifice the well-being of immigrants, children--that they say they care so much about--babies-- that they say they care so much about--veterans, the elderly and people experiencing poverty than they are to do the hard work of owning up to their failures, their hypocrisy, their ineffective leadership.

It is hypocritical to target immigrants when many of the people in this Chamber have reaped the benefits of immigrant labor and have become wealthy on the backs of immigrant sacrifice.

Let me tell you what my mother tells me about her journey. It takes courage to cross a border, to seek a job, or to pursue an opportunity to raise their children in safety.

The courage of our people stands in stark contrast to the cowardice of my colleagues. There is nothing people-centered about this Republican CR. There is nothing noble or redeeming about it. It is time for a clean CR that does not scapegoat the people this Nation has been built on, and let's stop indulging the cowardice of my colleagues.

For this reason, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to my bill. That amendment would strike the section that makes 30 percent cuts across the board.

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Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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