192 Democrats Refuse to Even Utter Words of Support for Border Patrol Agents

On Wednesday evening, the House passed H.R. 3239, the so-called Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act, by a vote of 233-195. The bill itself has a number of flaws, but what became apparent is the utter contempt that the majority of Democratic House members have for the brave men and women of U.S. Border Patrol (USBP).

Shortly before the vote, the Republican minority offered a sense of Congress amendment via a motion to recommit (MTR) affirming Congress’ support for border patrol agents. It read:

It is the sense of the Congress that the men and women of USBP should be commended for continuing to carry out their duties in a professional manner, including caring for the extraordinary high numbers of family units, unaccompanied alien children, and single adults processed in United States Customs and Border Protection Facilities referenced in this act.

Introducing the motion was Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq and was also deployed to our southern border four times. It was there that he saw first-hand the work that Border Patrol does to keep our country safe at its perimeter.

Speaking of his motion, Rep. Kinzinger stated, “Today what we have is an opportunity and a moment in time to make a simple statement. This institution can leave politics aside and take this time to recognize the mothers and fathers, the brothers and sisters, the sons and daughters, the husbands and wives, our neighbors and the constituents we serve, the men and women of our U.S. Border Patrol working in these facilities every day.” He correctly noted that his amendment would not change anything of substance in the bill – it was simply affirming the House’s support for the people tasked to defend our border.

Rep. Kinzinger’s motion passed by a vote of 239-192, with only 41 Democrats voting with every Republican to affirm their support for our border patrol agents. What is breathtaking is that this vote changes nothing of substance within the bill itself. It only sent a message to the men and women of USBP that their Congress supports them.

That statement of support was simply too much to ask of House Democrats. Rep. Paul Ruiz (D-Calif.) rose in strong opposition to this motion and argued that Republicans were trying to play “partisan gotcha politics.”

Rep. Ruiz’s opposition sends a strong statement to Border Patrol that their efforts to protect our country and save the lives of migrants in their care do not warrant his support.

Even Democratic leadership could not stomach the thought of issuing a statement of support for our Border Patrol agents. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) went so far as to warn her members that voting in support of Rep. Kinzinger’s motion would result in punishment from Democratic leadership. All these threats of retribution over a statement simply saying that the House supports the men and women of border patrol.

This vote is just another example of the Democrats’ radical leftward shift on immigration policy. Their members and supporters already call Border Patrol agents Nazis, even as the agency does more to care for migrants at the border than any other entity in the country while protecting the country from dangerous narcotics and human trafficking.

We face an unprecedented humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border. Meeting that challenge head-on are the men and women of Border Patrol. Democrats continue to refuse to provide them with the tools necessary to stymie the flow of illegal immigration at our border. House Democrats decline to even acknowledge the gaps and loopholes in our asylum laws that encourage migrants to journey north, overwhelming the resources and manpower of Border Patrol. Even when these lawmakers were given the opportunity to give them mere words of support, they refused.