Washington, D.C. — Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, recently introduced a resolution, H.Res. 1092, to redirect American foreign assistance provided to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras away from the central governments of those countries to target the entities working to address the drivers of illegal immigration from these countries to the United States.

In 2018, 30 percent of those apprehended at the border have begun their journeys in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. The amount redirected from the central governments of these countries to non-governmental, non-profit, and other entities will equal the amount of unaccompanied children from each country in Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR) custody multiplied by $15,000.

Since 2014, Dr. Burgess has prioritized Congressional oversight of HHS-ORR operations, making nearly ten trips to ORR-funded facilities. Most recently, he toured a shelter in Tornillo, T.X. on Monday, October 15. As expressed in H.Res. 1092, Dr. Burgess is committed to finding permanent solutions to end the cycle of irregular migration and restore order on America’s southern border.

“Each month, more than 30,000 people cross America’s southern border without the benefit of citizenship, thousands of whom are children. All Americans can agree that a lack of border security endangers our country. As Congress considers solutions for our nation’s immigration crisis, we must consider why families are willing to embark on a dangerous journey to reach our southern border. This summer, I visited El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to learn firsthand about the immigration, humanitarian, and energy challenges in this region. Unfortunately, each of these countries has a cycle of gang violence, poverty, and corruption that leads to irregular migration.

“To break this cycle, we must end the status quo. Foreign leaders must be held accountable for the wellbeing of their fellow citizens. My resolution, H.Res. 1092, expresses the sense of the House that foreign assistance provided to these nations should be targeted to the community-building entities working to address the drivers of illegal immigration. America’s foreign assistance funds are much better spent helping to provide a safe home for children in Central American countries than spent caring for these children in taxpayer-funded shelters once they reach our borders. While not a perfect solution, this is yet another step toward securing American borders.”

The full text of H.Res. 1092 is available here.

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