Hoyer Letter to the Editor: U.S. Immigration Policy Should Not be a Political Football
Wanted to be sure you saw this Letter to the Editor from Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) in the Washington Post on House Republicans' continued failure to vote on unconditioned aid for our allies Ukraine and Israel. To read the full Letter to the Editor, click here or see below:
THE WASHINGTON POST
Letter to the Editor: ‘U.S. Immigration Policy Should Not be a Political Football’
By Congressman Steny H. Hoyer
Last week, I joined Democrats and Republicans for a candlelight vigil to mark 103 days since Hamas’s ruthless terrorist attack on Oct. 7. We prayed for the more than 130 hostages still being held captive in Gaza and pledged to recover them and support Israel. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was among us. Describing Hamas’s brutality, he said, “We will not tolerate it.”
The majority of Congress wants to aid Israel and Ukraine. Our inaction, however, belies our words.
The far right has prevented Congress from delivering the resources necessary to give our rhetoric meaning and impact. In November, Mr. Johnson broke 75 years of precedent by advancing a bill that made aid for Israel contingent on partisan IRS cuts.
Now, he insists on overhauling our immigration system as a precondition for supplemental aid. We need to address the border, but that will take years. Ukraine and Israel don’t have that time.
Mr. Johnson’s effort to tie this aid to unrelated domestic issues is ironic considering he co-sponsored the One Subject at a Time Act in 2017.
One subject ought to concern us right now: the defense of democracy. Every moment Congress sits idle disheartens our allies and emboldens tyrants and terrorists around the world.
Has the wellspring of freedom run dry? Our answer must be a resounding no. We must answer with action. If not, the strong words of yesterday will be drowned out by the thunder of inaction today.