Kilmer to Congress: “Do your job. Debate HHS detention center funding.”
Majority delays Appropriations subcommittee markup which would have required a vote on detention centers housing children separated from their parents
WASHINGTON, DC—The House Committee on Appropriations delayed a subcommittee markup scheduled for tomorrow on a funding bill that controls spending for the Department of Health and Human Services, one of the government agencies that runs the centers where the Trump Administration is detaining children separated from their parents. The Department of Homeland Security also operates detention centers. The markup could have forced a recorded vote on whether or not government funds should be used to operate HHS child detention centers.
Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) the Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement:
“Congress should do its job. The Appropriations committee should debate whether Americans’ tax money should be spent on detaining children separated from their parents. This is a debate about our values, and it should happen now, in public view and not behind closed doors,” Kilmer said. “This policy is wrong, and every member of Congress ought to have the courage to take a vote on this issue.”
Later this afternoon, President Trump will meet behind closed doors with Republicans to discuss his decision to separate immigrant parents from their children.