Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) is pushing back against House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) recently proposed legislation aimed at fully funding a wall along the southern border.
“Despite evidence showing the negative economic and environmental impact of Trump’s border wall and overwhelming opposition by border communities and national security experts, Republicans in Congress continue to use the border wall as a political ploy to their base,” she said in a statement.
Lujan Grisham, who is running for governor of New Mexico, blasted the legislation, arguing it would be economically irresponsible to allocate funds toward the project. “The people who know the border the best, whether it’s companies or lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, border communities, trade groups, economists, and law enforcement officials, all agree that building a wall is unnecessary, impractical, ineffective, and a complete waste of time and taxpayer money.
The New Mexico Democrat alleged that the bill was a move by Republicans to rile far-right voters ahead of the November midterm elections. “Leader McCarthy and Trump’s politically driven agenda is undermining the will of the American people, our values, and ability to work together to address our nation’s most pressing issues” she said.
McCarthy’s bill would allocate an additional $23.4 billion toward the border wall and includes a provision that would cut off funds for so-called sanctuary cities and prevent illegal immigrants from voting in U.S. elections.
“Few things are more fundamental to a nation than a protected border,” he tweeted on Tuesday. “Proud to introduce the Build the Wall, Enforce the Law Act.”
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