Madam Speaker. how is it that we can find it within our capabilities to fund billions of dollars of deficit spending on unpaidfor tax extenders one week. but we cant muster the humanity to fund adequate legal representation for refugee children the next? The Presidents request included a modest $24.5 million to fund the Department of Justices programs to provide legal assistance to these children. their guardians. and law enforcement advisors in Central America. yet none of this was included in the legislation. Instead. Republicans focus only on punitive measures that will hasten the misery of these children. Madam Speaker. I am interested to know why Republicans are comfortable spending untold amounts of American taxpayers money on a frivolous lawsuit. but will provide absolutely no money on legal assistance for a child who. after traversing some of the most dangerous terrain our world has to offer. must now navigate our immigration system without the benefit of counsel. Make no mistake. these children are refugees. If Republicans are so concerned about the plight of these children and making sure that we find a humanitarian solution. why have they stripped away all of the human rights conditions and certification requirements on the Guatemalan and Honduran militaries allowing them to use the $40 million allocated to help with repatriation efforts? Were going to throw these children who have fled for their lives from horrific conditions right back to the same wolves who caused them to flee in the first place. and then pay to ensure they are stuck there.
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immigration refugees refugee