Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), alongside Senator Chuck Grassley and 42 other Republican lawmakers, sent a bicameral letter urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to collaborate with Congress to address abuses in the administration’s unaccompanied migrant children program.
The letter calls for an end to what the lawmakers describe as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “cover-up” of the crisis and emphasizes the need for greater cooperation with law enforcement.
The letter highlights the surge of over 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children crossing the southwest border since the Biden-Harris administration took office, amid an estimated 2,500% increase in cartel trafficking activity.
According to the lawmakers, the administration has limited background checks for sponsors of unaccompanied children, reduced familial DNA testing at the border, and restricted information sharing with law enforcement.
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The Republican lawmakers urged President Biden and Vice President Harris to “make changes to [their] policies and procedures” to address the public safety crisis. Specific recommendations include enhancing information sharing with law enforcement and Congress, fully cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) child exploitation investigation, and responding to all congressional oversight requests.
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The letter concludes by calling on the Biden-Harris administration to stop the alleged “cover-up” and work with law enforcement and Congress to protect unaccompanied children and ensure public safety.
Joining Senators Scott and Grassley are Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and others. House co-signers include Representatives Tom McClintock (R-Ca.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), among many others.
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