White House threatens veto of House border bill
The White House on Monday threatened to veto House Democrats’ proposal on how to meet its request for $4.5 billion in funds to address the influx of migrants on the southern border.
The House and Senate are considering competing bills this week to meet the Trump administration’s request.
{mosads}While the Senate version is bipartisan, House Democrats are still trying to round up the votes for their bill amid concerns from Hispanic and progressive lawmakers wary of funding the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Members of the Progressive and Hispanic caucuses are meeting Monday night with House Democratic leaders to discuss the proposal, which was unveiled Friday. House Democratic leaders are hoping to bring the bill to the floor as soon as Tuesday.
In a statement on Monday, the Office of Management and Budget called the House measure a “partisan bill that underfunds necessary accounts and seeks to take advantage of the current crisis by inserting policy provisions that would make our country less safe.”
It cited the House bill’s provision requiring the Trump administration to use money that Congress already provided for aid to Central American countries, as well as its restrictions on the Department of Health and Human Services policies regarding unaccompanied migrant children.
The veto threat signals a difficult path ahead for both the House and Senate to reach an agreement by the end of the week before lawmakers depart for the July 4 recess.
The Department of Health and Human Services has warned that it could run out of funds within weeks, adding urgency for lawmakers to act quickly.
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