WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), Chairwoman of the House Working Group to address the crisis at the southern border, issued the following statement regarding the working group.
“The working group, appointed by Speaker Boehner to address the ongoing crisis at the southern border, has made extraordinary progress in a short amount of time to understand the facts of the situation at the border, and develop sensible, humane, but tough recommendations on a course of action for Congress and the President to act on immediately.
“After personally visiting the Texas-Mexico border twice, traveling to Central America to meet with the Presidents of Honduras and Guatemala, and hearing directly from those involved in this crisis, there is no mistaking that the United States has a national security and humanitarian crisis at its southern border. This is not a political problem. This is an urgent crisis that must be dealt with immediately.
“The working group believes there are steps that can be taken to stop individuals, mostly women and children, from making the horrific trip from Central America to our southern border. Additionally, we must ensure that our border is secure and that unaccompanied minors are repatriated back to their home country in a swift and humane way, while ensuring proper protections are in place for the children who need them. I appreciate the legislative solutions being introduced by members of the working group and look forward to incorporating many of their ideas in our recommendations. It is my intention to provide the working group’s final report to the House GOP conference early next week when the House returns for legislative business.”