Lankford Amendment Addresses Ongoing Crisis At the Border

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced an amendment to Democrats’ tax and spending spree, named the “Inflation Reduction Act,” even though there is no clear evidence that the bill will reduce inflation. Lankford’s amendment would take $1 million out of the Affordable Care Act slush fund for FY 2023 and use it to maintain Title 42 authority.

“Title 42 authority is the last line of defense that our Border Patrol agents have to protect our border during this ongoing health emergency. The Biden Administration wants to extend the public health emergency in the country, but ignore the health emergency at our border. We have a record number of people crossing our border illegally—we need more enforcement, not less. The American people deserve transparency and accountability from the Administration, and Title 42 authority must be kept in place until there is a viable plan to stop people from entering our country illegally particularly during a public health emergency.” 

Lankford is leading the charge to push back on the Biden Administration’s plans to revoke temporary, pandemic-related Title 42 authority, Lankford introduced the Public Health and Border Security Act to require all COVID-19 related national states of emergency to be lifted before Title 42 is officially terminated until a workable plan to replace it is put in place. Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined in support of this bill. 

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