Florida Republican Rep. Ted Yoho says Mexico should not get foreign aid until the U.S.-Mexico border is secure.
“Mexico should not be accepting American generosity with one hand and covering their eyes to the situation at the border with the other,” Yoho explained.
Last week Yoho introduced legislation to suspend foreign aid to Mexico until Congress deems the southern border to be secure.
The legislation comes amid an unprecedented influx of illegal immigration – largely by children and women with children from Central America – across the southern border.
“In addition to us securing our border, Mexico should be securing theirs,” Yoho said introducing the bill. “While Mexico, as a sovereign nation, is free to act how they want – their negligence should not be rewarded with our foreign aid. Our unsecured border is a national security situation, and we need to act now.”
Yoho joins several lawmakers who have called for the suspension of foreign aid in the wake of the border crisis.
In late June, for example, Texas Republican Rep. Randy Weber introduced a bill to suspend aid to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador until Congress determines they have done enough to stem the flow of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children to the United States.
Tuesday Obama requested $3.7 billion in emergency appropriations from Congress to deal with the ongoing crisis.