Senate Passes $4.6 Billion Bill for Migrant Care

The Senate, Wednesday, approved bipartisan legislation providing $4.6 billion to care for thousands of migrants attempting to come into the U.S. across the Mexican border.

Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer released a statement soon after detailing her views on the legislation: “Today the Senate took action to help address the emergency at our southern border. This package will improve care for unaccompanied children and assist in expanding the crowded shelter facilities. I urge the House to quickly pass this bill so we can provide these desperately needed resources to stabilize this crisis.”

The new bill is similar to a proposal that Democrats already pushed through the House with little Republican support. The House bill has more restrictions than the Senate version on how the Trump administration would use the money, leaving the next step unclear.

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse also issued a statement regarding his thoughts on the bill. “We’ve got two responsibilities at the border,” said Sasse. “First, we need to detain people long enough to separate legitimate asylum seekers from drug runners, human traffickers, and illegal immigrants. Second, we have a moral obligation to treat these people – especially children and their families – humanely.” Sasse believes the situation will only get worse if something is not done about the border crisis soon, but the bill needs more negotiation between legislators and President Trump. “Congress needs to send this bill to the President’s desk immediately.”

A shocking photo of the corpses of a migrant father and daughter went viral this week and has been increasing pressure on Congress to improve migrants’ conditions. The photo depicts Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez holding his 23-month-old daughter under his shirt for protection while crossing the Rio Grande River separating Mexico from Texas. The two had been swept away by the current and discovered on June 24th. The photo, along with realizations of horrible conditions for children detained by U.S. authorities, helped push the bill through the Senate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told The Associated Press that she hopes the photo will challenge the Trump administration’s conscience. Pelosi said the U.S. is ignoring its “obligations to humanity,” and she hopes the picture will signify the need for change. “This is a manifestation of behavior that is outside the circle of civilized human behavior,” said Pelosi.

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