Congressman García Votes NO on the Second Appropriations Minibus

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) released the following statement after voting NO on the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, the second of two appropriations packages for fiscal year 2024:

“I recognize the nature of a divided government and the realities of negotiation, but this bill falls far short of something I could vote for. My constituents deserve better.

“This bill decreases funding to support cities like Chicago that are welcoming migrants. We need more funding! Beyond that, this bill continues a failed enforcement-heavy approach to immigration policy. While this bill marginally increases funding levels to address asylum and work permit backlogs, those increases are greatly overshadowed by increases in funding for CBP officers, detention beds, and wasteful surveillance technology.

“Once again, this bill increases our country’s bloated military budget. I object to a blank check approach to military spending when so many programs in our country are being cut or receiving no investments. 

“While I applaud the fact that this bill does increase spending on humanitarian assistance, it should not distract from the fact that it codifies a prohibition on U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) through March of next year. This is an unconscionable decision. As the U.S. continues to send weapons that the Israeli military is using to kill thousands of Palestinians, this bill prevents the flow of food and medicine to Gaza.

“This bill does fund priorities, like early learning programs, child care grants, and Head Start, which help families in IL-04. However, thousands of my constituents have been waiting over 35 years for meaningful immigration reform, which this bill puts further out of reach. Many of my constituents are calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian relief; some have family members stuck in Gaza who are desperate to get out. Many of my constituents object to military budgets that come at the cost of programs they rely on. I will continue to fight for legislation that prioritizes the people I represent.” 

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