APPROPRIATIONS vs. Border Battle Comes in like a Lion…..and goes out like a Lamb

Congress Moves to Fund the Border Crisis

Today, the House voted in favor of a minibus that contains the remaining 6 appropriations bills for the remainder of the fiscal year. In the early hours of Thursday morning, the more than 1,000 page bill dropped, giving the House of Representatives a single day to read all of it, despite a House rule requiring 72 hours.

That bill funds the Department of Homeland Security, but makes no policy changes that would help to end the border crisis. In addition, it adds 12,000 Afghans to the existing Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) category. This doesn't just fail to stop the border crisis- it fully funds it.

The Republicans were split nearly down the middle, and 22 Democrats joined to vote no, but more than ⅔ of the House voted to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

While this represents a near total abdication of Congress's responsibility to stop the border crisis, many brave Members of Congress opposed it because of its lack of helpful border security provisions. We'll have actions up as soon as the vote tally is made public so you can thank those that voted against it, and express disappointment to those that handed Secretary Mayorkas a blank check.

The Senate will take the bill up over the weekend.

What's Next for Congress?

Assuming the government is fully funded this weekend, Congress will be leaving town for two weeks of recess. We don't anticipate any floor action, but be on the lookout for opportunities to message your Members of Congress to cosponsor our Great Solutions when they return.

There's still one more chance for Congress to address the border crisis. Many in Congress are pushing for a supplemental funding package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, and many Congressmen and Senators have vowed that they won't vote for that package without substantive change on the border. If you haven't already, check your Action Board and insist that Congress use this opportunity to pass H.R. 2 and stop the border crisis.

The late, great physicist and professor Al Bartlett would have turned 101 this week. Bartlett was famous for his lecture, "Arithmetic, Population, and Energy." His work on immigration is less well-known but important. Read Henry's article for more.

Centennial Anniversary of the 1924 Immigration Act

It is time to take the best of both bills to craft a bill that will help Americans now.

Black Americans have had better immigration policy before through the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act of 1924, which helped:

1. Initiate the Great Migration
2. Increase pay for Black Americans
3. Increased enrollment in HBCUs
4. Developed leaders who influenced the Civil Rights Movement

We will continue to discuss the following:

Is President Calvin Coolidge the 2nd Great Emancipator?

Would HBCUs and the Civil Rights movement have had as much success without the passing of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act?

• The Blaze - Candace Hathaway - March 13th - House GOP aims to deport, permanently ban illegal immigrants convicted of sexual assault
• Fox News - Thomas Catenacci - March 15th - Biden admin funnels $1 billion for climate programs at borders amid ongoing migrant crisis
• KFDA NewsChannel 10 - David Lovejoy, Rhonda Lahnert, Chuck Williams - March 17th - THE CHAT: Andre Barnes on immigration policy ahead of his Texas trip
• The Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser - Andy Hooser - March 18th - Eric Ruark: Is the Biden admin platform on Immigration stronger than Trump?
• Florida Daily - Ed Dean - March 19th - Immigration Enforcement Group Tells GOP Not To Fund Biden's Border Plan

14 and 37: Small but important numbers

Not big numbers, but a big deal. In the past month, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed two pieces of legislation aimed at getting control over the border with bi-partisan support. One with the support of 14 Democrats and the other with the support of 37 Democrats.

While these are not overwhelming signs of support from Democrats, together, the votes represent an important segment of House Democrats willing to take a stand against the Biden Administration's open-border policies. It's too soon to tell if these initial cracks in the Democrats' solid support for the Biden Administration's immigration policies will lead to a significant fissure, but it is surely a sign that 14-37 Democrats are starting to hear from enough of their constituents on this issue that they feel pressure to act. Keep contacting your Members of Congress – it makes a difference!!

Fourteen Democrats supported H.Res. 1065 last week. While this is a nonbinding resolution, it sends a message that the House condemns the Biden Administration's actions at the border, and urges the President to use the powers Congress has already granted him to end the crisis. The resolution advocates for-

• Ending catch-and-release;
• Reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP or "Remain in Mexico");
• Entering asylum cooperative agreements with foreign countries;
• Ending parole abuse;
• Detaining illegal aliens;
• Utilizing expedited removal.

This comes on the heels of the House, in a strong bipartisan showing, voting in favor of the Laken Riley Act. The final vote was 251-170, with all Republicans voting in favor along with 37 Democrats. While not a substitute for H.R. 2, the legislation empowers state governments to challenge illegal actions by the executive branch in federal court. Specifically, it provides standing to states to sue the Executive Branch in a wide variety of cases where discretion has led to dangerous open border policies. You can read more about the bill in Jared Culver's article on our site.