In September, the National Park Service signed a lease agreement with New York City to use Floyd Bennett Field as emergency housing for some of the city’s more than 100,000 asylum seekers.
Republicans opposed the lease, in which the city agreed to invest millions in deferred maintenance and infrastructure improvements. Floyd Bennett Field was previously used for similar purposes, including after Hurricane Sandy, without any Republican opposition.
H.R. 5283 would prohibit the use of federal funds to provide temporary or permanent housing on public lands managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Forest Service.
The bill would also hamper the Department of the Interior’s and the Department of Agriculture’s ability to make important decisions on land and resource use, even in emergency situations.
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan of Virginia voted yesterday against House Republicans’ extreme border bill to protect migrants and oppose harmful anti-immigrant policies.
“This harmful bill would only spread anti-migrant rhetoric and repeat dangerous ‘invasion theory’ talking points that are directly linked to acts of political violence,” McClellan said. “This piece of legislation is not a legitimate policy solution, just another desperate attempt by extreme MAGA Republicans to demonize migrants. It’s clear Congress must do more to advance comprehensive immigration reform, but House Republicans aren’t interested in that. I voted no on this partisan bill, because this legislation fails to offer real solutions. House Democrats are ready and willing to meaningfully engage on this issue, and I urge Republicans to stop the political games and join us.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
