{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140808003913/http://harper.house.gov/enewsletters/border-calamity", "A Border Calamity", "2014-08-04", "2014", "2014-08", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Gregg Harper", "H001045", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\nIt\u2019s no secret: I rarely agree with the president on anything. And I have been at odds with the White House on immigration policy since the start of my time in Congress. Not only do the president and I not see eye-to-eye on immigration, I think it\u2019s fair to say we\u2019re on different planets when it comes to the issue.\nFor nearly six years I\u2019ve opposed President Obama\u2019s immigration policies. I\u2019ve taken a stand against legislation he\u2019s proposed, statements he\u2019s made and policies he\u2019s implemented. Probably my biggest frustration has been his spiritless approach to ensuring that our borders are secure from weapons, drugs and undocumented individuals.\nFor the last several months we\u2019ve been witnessing a major consequence of the president\u2019s failed immigration policies. His approach has led nearly 60,000 unaccompanied children since October 2013 to believe that entering the U.S. by simply crossing the border is acceptable. For those who are children and are not with an adult, it is not only unacceptable but extremely dangerous. Our country is now facing a humanitarian crisis because the President has sent a message that this is acceptable.\nThe U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to help address the immediate issue of unaccompanied children currently in the U.S. It also discourages unaccompanied children who might come at a future date by implementing a last-in-first-out protocol. There are resources included to hire more immigration judges and to increase manpower on the border, including a National Guard presence, to deter illegal crossings. There is no amnesty in this bill. In fact, it does the opposite \u2013 it amends a 2008 law, making it easier to return the children to their home countries. The bill has offsets, meaning it is paid for and does not create new spending. Additionally, the House passed a measure that will stop the president\u2019s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) scheme.\nTexas Governor Rick Perry, who has been a leader on border security and has recently mobilized the Texas National Guard to help deal with this problem, when asked about the federal government\u2019s involvement said, \u201c\u2026Congress and the President have a duty to address our border security issues without further delay\u2026\u201d Governor Perry is on the ground and understands how important it was for the House to take action.\nThe President helped create this crisis through his failed policies. The U.S. House has voted to address those failures and will continue to work on the issue. Now it\u2019s time for the Senate to follow suit.\nGod Bless,\nGregg Harper\nMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140808003913/http://harper.house.gov/enewsletters/border-calamity"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.164319157600403, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}