Memphis Standard

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has joined forces with Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and 42 other Republican colleagues in addressing concerns about the Biden-Harris administration's handling of the unaccompanied migrant children program. In a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the lawmakers urge collaboration with Congress to address abuses within the program and to cease what they describe as a cover-up by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The group points out that HHS has not complied with two-thirds of subpoenas and information requests from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is investigating over 100 suspicious sponsors. The lawmakers are calling for policy changes to resolve what they term a public safety crisis.

They specifically request improved information sharing with law enforcement and Congress, full cooperation with DHS's child exploitation investigation, and comprehensive responses to congressional oversight inquiries. "The Biden-Harris HHS must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people," concluded the lawmakers.

Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, more than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed into the United States through its southwest border, coinciding with a significant increase in cartel trafficking activity. The lawmakers highlight several issues such as reduced background checks for sponsors, cutbacks on familial DNA testing at borders, decreased information sharing with law enforcement, obstruction of DHS’s child exploitation investigation, and defiance against House Judiciary Committee subpoenas.

The letter was co-signed by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Kennedy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley(R-Mo.), Rick Scott(R-Fla.), Roger Marshall(R-Kans.), Tommy Tuberville(R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin(R-Okla.) Katie Britt(R-Ala.) Pete Ricketts(R-Neb.). Additional representatives include Tom McLintock(R-Ca.) Matt Gaetz(R-Fla.) Andy Biggs(R-Ariz.) Chip Roy(R-Texas) Dan Bishop(R-N.C.) Scott Fitzgerald(R-Wis.) Cliff Bentz(R-Ore.) Ben Cline(R-Va.) Barry Moore(R-Ala.) Russell Fry(R-S.C.) Harriet Hageman(R-Wyo.) Wesley Hunt(Texas) Laurel Lee(Fla) Michael Rulli(Ohio).

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