Rep. Calvert Statement on the President’s Supplemental Request

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's emergency supplementalappropriationsrequest to address the increase in child and adult migration from Central America:

"While I welcome the President's request for additional resources in response to the growing crisis at our border, I strongly believe that it will take more than funding to ultimately solve the problem. In addition to providing more funding for detention facilities in Texas and immigration judges, the President must end his catch-and-release policies to send a strong signal that anyone illegally crossing our border will not be able to remain in our country.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am eager to work with my colleagues to address the challenges presented by the ongoing crisis. It is vital that the supplemental address the challenges faced by local communities, such as Murrieta, California, impacted by the crisis. It is clear that the short-term costs to put the brakes on the crisis at the border are far cheaper than the long-term costs of an open borders policy.

The crisis should not have come to this point, President Obama had the resources and much of the authority to deal with the influx as it began but rather than implementing a decisive plan and putting a stop to the dangerous crossings, the President now must come to Congress asking for more authority and more money. His failure of leadership is endangering children, taxing our border patrol agents, and now costing the American taxpayer money."