Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, blasted a revolt by centrist House Democrats on Thursday that blocked the emergency border funding measure championed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and liberal Democrats.
House Democrats will vote Thursday on the clean Senate border funding bill instead of the measure advocated by progressives.
“Since when did the Problem Solvers Caucus become the Child Abuse Caucus? Wouldn’t they want to at least fight against contractors who run deplorable facilities? Kids are the only ones who could lose today,” Pocan tweeted ahead of a full House vote.
Ahead of the scheduled vote, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a leader of the Problem Solvers Caucus, reportedly told Pelosi the caucus had the votes to defeat a rule including additional language providing for the explicit protection of migrant children and cutting funds to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).{mosads}
Center-right members signaled concerns that cuts to ICE could be used as attacks on Democratic candidates in future elections.
“That is terrible policy, terrible politics all around for many of these front-line members,” a House aide told The Hill.
The caucus’s liberal wing argued that the specific language in the bill was necessary to ensure the emergency funds it authorizes are only put toward the care of migrant children.
“This is not a controversial or radical idea,” Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) said earlier Thursday. “This is about our basic humanity and the responsibility we have for the children who are in our custody.”
Other members of the party’s progressive flank joined Pocan in blasting the move, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who tweeted that a vote on the border measure advanced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “is a vote to keep kids in cages and terrorize immigrant communities.”
“How can we trust Donald Trump won’t turn around and use this to fund his deportation plan or worse?” she added.
“Mitch thinks basic human rights are poison pills. We need a bill that doesn’t continue harmful policies at the border,” tweeted Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). “We can do better than what we’ve seen. I hope my colleagues realize this. Let’s do better.”