Third Way Statement on H.Res. 461

WASHINGTON – Third Way released the following statement from Lanae Erickson, Senior Vice President for Social Policy, Education, & Politics:

“Republicans’ latest attempt to ‘improve student safety’ yet again misses the mark. House Resolution 461 is a purely symbolic bill disapproving of the use of school facilities to provide shelter for undocumented immigrants, a blatant attempt to simply try and win political points with their base.

“If Republicans really cared about student safety, they would engage in bipartisan conversations on gun violence legislation. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens, not immigrants in school gymnasiums.

“And if Republicans really cared about border security and immigration reform, they would engage in serious conversations with Democrats about bipartisan and common sense reforms. They wouldn’t have walked away from every major bipartisan immigration effort this century. They wouldn’t have introduced a border bill that essentially dismantles our asylum system, or proposed cutting border security funding by 22%. And they wouldn’t focus their efforts on a symbolic bill that ‘scolds’ cities for providing refuge to immigrants that Republicans themselves recklessly bussed or flew to these places in hopes of positive coverage on Fox News.

“Once again, Republicans are stoking divisive culture wars rather than proposing real solutions to make progress on student safety or immigration reform.”