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Sen. McConnell Introduces Amendment to Halt The Flow of Unaccompanied Alien Minors into the Commonwealth

‘My amendment makes clear that these minors should be treated humanely and returned to their home country immediately, not shipped across the nation and housed at taxpayer expense.’

July 31, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell filed an amendment that would require the Obama administration to consult with the governor of a state and satisfy specific criteria before transporting unaccompanied alien minors into a state.
 
The measure, filed as an amendment to Senate border legislation, says that U.S. policy should be to treat unaccompanied alien minors humanely and return them to their home country immediately. The amendment would prohibit the transportation of unaccompanied alien minors across state lines unless the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the governor of the affected state, certifies that the minors will not have a burdensome economic impact or negative public health impact on the state or affected communities. The amendment also would prohibit the transportation of unaccompanied alien minors unless the Secretaries of HHS and the Department of Homeland Security certify that transporting them will not delay their immediate repatriation.  
 
“My amendment makes clear that these minors should be treated humanely and returned to their home country immediately, not shipped across the nation and housed at taxpayer expense,” Senator McConnell said. “I hope that we will have an open amendment process on the Senate floor so that my amendment can be considered.”

Congress Can’t Fix the Border Crisis without Presidential Leadership

July 31, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor calling on the President to lead on the border crisis:

“The ongoing humanitarian crisis at our nation’s Southern Border demands a solution.

“It just boggles the mind that the President of the United States would rather fundraise in Hollywood than work with the members of his own party to forge a legislative response to this tragic situation — and to do something to prevent more young people from making the perilous and potentially life-threatening journey across the desert.

“The President initially laid out reforms that, while modest, represented a step in the right direction.

“But evidently, the politicos who increasingly have the President’s ear these days couldn’t go along with that.

“So the President stopped defending his own policy reforms.

“Instead, he demanded a blank check that would preserve the status quo.

“A blank check he knew wouldn’t fix the problem. A blank check he knew couldn’t pass Congress. And a blank check that he knew members of his own party in Congress didn’t even support.

“Faced with a national crisis, he listened once again to his most partisan instincts instead of uniting Congress around a common solution — so he could lay blame for that crisis on somebody else. Apparently no crisis is too big to be trumped by politics in the Obama White House.

“It’s exasperating for those of us who want to work toward bipartisan solutions. It’s confusing, I’m sure, to Democrats who share our desire to get something done. And it’s emboldening to the Democrats who don’t.  Including the Senate’s Democrat leadership.

“When faced with a crisis, a President’s job is to show presidential leadership and get his party on board with the reforms necessary to address it. Scuttling reform and prolonging a crisis are not a part of the job description.

“So what I’m suggesting, Mr. President, is that you spend a little more time actually doing the job you were elected to do. Press pause on the nonstop photo-ops and start demonstrating some real leadership instead. The BBQ joints and pool halls will still be there after we solve the problems.

“It’s a dangerous journey to the border. Children are suffering at the hands of some seriously bad actors down there.

“News reports suggest you even knew about all this long before it starting making national news.

“You could have intervened before this turned into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. You didn’t. You could have worked with us to get a bipartisan solution. You didn’t.

“Mr. President: You have a special responsibility to help us end this crisis in a humane and appropriate way. Congress can’t do it without your leadership or your engagement. It’s impossible to do this without you.

“So pick up that phone you keep telling us about. Call us. Call your fellow Democrats and lobby them to get on board. Work with us. And let’s address this crisis.”

McConnell Wants President to Address Israel/Gaza, ISIL at White House Meeting

July 31, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding the President’s national security policy and the White House meeting today:

“Recently I’ve expressed deep concern that the President has pursued a foreign policy based on withdrawing from America’s forward presence and alliance commitments, hollowing out our nation’s conventional military forces, placing an overreliance upon personal diplomacy and international organizations, and abandoning the war on terror. I believe this will leave his successor to deal with a more dangerous world, and with fewer tools to meet the threats.

“Later this morning, several members of Congress charged with leading national security committees and policymaking will meet with President Obama to discuss national security. I don’t expect the President to brief us on his plan for rebuilding the military, especially in a way that would allow us to meet our commitments in Europe and the Middle East, or that would allow for an effective strategic pivot to Asia. Nor do I expect the President to lay out for us his plans to provide the intelligence community with all the tools it will need to deal with the threat of international terrorism from Al Qaeda and its affiliated groups over the next decade.

“Those are strategic threats best addressed by integrating all the tools of our nation’s power and, candidly, it would require the President to revisit the policy stances he took as a candidate in 2008.

“I do hope, at a minimum, that the President will discuss two near term issues. First, I hope he will explain his plan or efforts to assist the Israelis in demilitarizing Gaza and ensuring that Hamas is not left with the ability to launch indirect fire attacks against the civilian populace or to infiltrate Israel through tunnels. In coordination with Israel, we can assist the Palestinian Authority with any programs to assume responsibility for monitoring access points into Gaza. Absent any active efforts by the Administration, I would at least like assurances that the President is not working to impose a ceasefire upon Israel that is harmful to the objectives of the current military campaign.

“Second, earlier this month a group of Republican Senators wrote to the President imploring him to craft a plan for containing the threat posed to Iraq and Jordan by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Specifically, we asked the President to deploy an assessment team to Jordan to develop a plan to prevent the spread of ISIL in a way that threatened our ally Jordan. Although Ambassador Susan Rice responded to our letter, her answer did not address how the administration intends to combat ISIL.

“Instead, Ambassador Rice renewed the administration’s request for a new Counterterrorism Partnership Fund. To this point, the administration has failed to provide the Congress with any plan for how this new Counterterrorism Fund would assist our allies, further our own interests, or train and equip a moderate opposition within Syria. That would be a good starting point for today’s discussion with the President.”

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