The leaders of the House Progressive Caucus, which includes almost half of House Democrats, immediately issued a statement calling the Senate bill — which had the backing of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. — "entirely insufficient to protect vulnerable children in our care."
[...]
In all, 95 Democrats opposed the bill, including a slew of prominent Pelosi allies like Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., and other authors of the alternative House approach. Pelosi told members to vote their conscience.
Thursday's outcome was a victory for McConnell, who vowed that the GOP-held Senate would kill any "partisan" House changes that the Democratic-controlled House passed, and he appeared to hold a strong hand. — www.nytimes.com/...
We should be blunt. The passage of this bill marks a defeat for Democrats who want to get these children out of the for-profit concentration camps the Trump administration has set up.
Her [Pelosi’s] retreat came after Vice President Mike Pence gave Ms. Pelosi private assurances that the administration would abide by some of the restrictions she had sought. They included a requirement to notify lawmakers within 24 hours after the death of a migrant child in government custody, and a 90-day time limit on children spending time in temporary intake facilities, according to a person familiar with the discussions. — www.nytimes.com/...
Let’s make this clear, neither Pence, nor McConnell, nor Trump have said there won’t be any more kids dying in ICE/CBP custody. Pence just said he’ll let Pelosi know within 23 hours of a kid’s death.
In the Senate, the bill passed with 84 votes. The dissenters were:
NAYs ---8
Hirono (D-HI)
Lee (R-UT)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Paul (R-KY)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Wyden (D-OR)
Not Voting - 8
Bennet (D-CO)
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Rounds (R-SD)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)
— www.senate.gov/...
I’m sure the Democrats who voted for this bill will say there are no other options, that the funding had to be provided because there is no way to give all these detainees the things they need without the money. We should ask two questions.
- Why then, does this bill contain funds for further militarization of the border.
- Why we are detaining these people for months at a time. Is there not another way?
And the answer to the second question is yes, there is.
Why didn’t House leadership demand a return to the family case management program? Most Americans don’t even know there was a different approach. They think the concentration camps are in bad shape because there are “hordes” rushing across the border. They do not know the concentration camps are a deliberate policy created by Trump and his pro-torture administration.
The 95 Democrats who voted No contain most of the Progressive Caucus and many, many names you will recognize. This includes the entire Squad (Reps. AOC, Pressley, Omar and Tlaib) whom you can donate to using the link on the right. It includes the co-chairs of the progressive caucus, Reps. Jayapal and Pocan. Rep. Barbara Lee voted No, as did Rep. Grijalva. So did my Rep. Adriano Espaillat, and my former Rep. Jerry Nadler. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, voted No, so did Rep. Ted Lieu.
One of the good things about our new crop of young, vocal house members is that they don’t mince words. Watch the clip below of AOC explaining exactly what is at stake here.
The end result is that for-profit companies operating these vast concentration camps will continue to receive billions of dollars for furthering the suffering of vulnerable children and adults. I’m sure when Trump leaves the presidency these companies will give him a nice kick-back in the form of “speaking fees”, a nice return for housing kids in abusive facilities.
Here’s what’s going to happen. Next week, tens of thousands are going to experience their first American Independence Day. They will be locked up in concentration camps, separated from the parents by a cruel, inhuman administration. Worst of all, these camps are run by Trump’s cronies who are making Billions off the suffering of these children. They have found a way to turn crimes against humanity into profit.
— @subirgrewal