Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after the passage of HR 3401 in the House of Representatives.

“After 57 days of obstruction and denial, Democratic leadership finally came face to face with reality,” said Rep. Hern. “Speaker Pelosi does not have the iron grip on her caucus that she thought, they are tired of her blatant disregard for the will of the American people. Let this be a lesson to all of us in Congress, petty, partisan games will never overrule the American people. Facts Matter. My hope in communicating the facts has been restored. If you keep communicating the truth about the facts, eventually the politicizing of an issue can be overcome.”

Rep. Hern continued, “The suffering at our border is finally being addressed. The pressure on our overworked border patrol agents will finally be relieved. Most importantly, Congress is finally doing the will of the American people by giving President Trump the emergency funds he asked for 2 months ago. It has been painful, stressful, and heart-wrenching to watch the crisis at our border worsen with every passing day while my colleagues across the aisle refused to acknowledge it. This morning, I stood strong in my belief that we should not leave Washington until we found a solution for our border crisis. This afternoon, Leader McCarthy said the same thing on the House floor, banding together our conference to fight for the American people. Now, with incredible bipartisan support from 84 senators and 305 representatives, we have succeeded.”

Background:

HR 3401, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, passed the Senate, with amendments, 84-8 yesterday.

Today, Speaker Pelosi planned to bring the bill to a vote, striking the Senate amendments. After pressure from the Republican conference, moderate Democrats, and an ultimatum from the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, Democratic leadership was forced to bring the bill with the Senate’s amendments to a vote in the House.

This bill includes $4.59 billion in funding for humanitarian assistance and border security at our Southern border. It is designated as emergency spending, exempt from discretionary spending limits.

This bill provides appropriations for:

·         U.S. Customs and Border Protection

·         U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

·         The Federal Emergency Management Agency

·         The Department of Health and Human Services for the Administration for Children and Families

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