Cornyn: Administration, Senate Democrats Agree 2008 Law Must Be Changed. So What's The Hold Up?

Senator John Cornyn News Release:

Calls on Reid to Heed Calls by Administration, Senate Democrats to Amend 08 Law

Jul 23 2014

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today called on Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring the HUMANE Act to the Senate floor for consideration. Excerpts are below and a video of his full remarks can be viewed here.

“In recent days a curious division has emerged from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle on a fundamental issue that I want to highlight. On one hand, more and more Democrats are calling on Congress to reform this 2008 law that inadvertently has become a magnet for illegal immigration by Central American minors. On the other hand, Senate Democratic leadership is refusing to consider any such reforms. They just want the cash.”

“Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said the Administration wants to change the 2008 law at the center of the crisis so that U.S. authorities can -- quote – ‘treat unaccompanied kids from a Central American country in the same way as from a contiguous country.’”

“White house Press Secretary Josh Earnest, you can see on this next chart, has confirmed that the Administration would support changing the 2008 law if it's necessary to resolve the crisis as Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson says it is.”

“Senator McCaskill, the senior Senator from Missouri, has reportedly said, I think ‘we should have the same law on the books for Central America as we have for Canada and Mexico.’…That's what the HUMANE Act would do.”

“Meanwhile, the senior Senator from Delaware, Senator Carper…argued that any supplemental funding should be paired with significant policy changes, saying the two should go together. I agree with Senator Carper.”

“So…what's the holdup? As usual the Majority Leader seems to be more concerned about good politics than good policy.”

“The Majority Leader has said he understands what needs to happen. The press secretary for the President says he understands what needs to happen. Secretary Johnson, the Secretary of Homeland Security, says he knows what needs to happen. Prominent Democrats like the senator from Missouri and the senator from Delaware say they understand what needs to happen. And yet, nothing is happening.”

“So I would urge the Majority Leader and the Majority Whip and the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee to heed themessage conveyed by Secretary Johnson and I would urge all of us to forget the politics and let's solve the problem.”