Congressional Progressive Caucus & Tri-Caucus Urge Republican Leadership to Oppose Additional Border Wall Funding, Send Values-Based Message to the American People

Statement

Today, Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led the Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, in a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan and Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen to oppose additional FY2019 Department of Homeland Security funding for a border wall. The letter was also signed by Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Elect; Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair; Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), Co-Chair of CPC; and Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02), Congressional Black Caucus Chair.

"This Congress has already spent close to $2 billion on border-barrier construction despite the fact that the southwest border is more secure than ever. According to a September 2017 DHS report, "available data indicate that the southwest land border is more difficult to illegally cross today than ever before.' DHS must provide us with concrete data showing the need and efficacy for such a wall," the Members wrote.

The Members continued: "Moreover, Congress must take meaningful steps to address the administration's cruel immigration policies of the past two years: family separation; tear gassing toddlers; illegal denial of asylum-seekers; relentless attacks on immigrant communities of color; and termination of the DACA program and grants of Temporary Protected Status. Polls show consistent national majorities oppose a border wall. Our decision not to fund any more destructive and ineffective border walls would send a values-based and fiscally responsible message to the American people. Our communities deserve better than to be divided and our taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency."