June 21, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 105 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H5027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1200
                         HUMANITARIAN STANDARDS

  (Mr. RUIZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge a vote on my bill, the 
Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection 
Custody Act, an all-American, value-based, comprehensive public health 
approach to help CBP address the basic humanitarian needs of children 
and families under their custody and responsibility.
  When I visited our southern border, I saw overworked agents and the 
meltdown of a system that is understaffed, under-equipped, under-
resourced, under-trained, and under-skilled to meet the humanitarian 
needs of children and families.
  That is why my bill identifies humanitarian standards on water, 
sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and shelter missing from the 
administration's emergency supplemental budget request.
  My bill requires a clearly defined medical screening for all 
individuals in CBP custody, and identifies priority groups, like 
children and seniors, who should receive their screenings within 3 
hours of being detained by CBP.
  It identifies how many calories a pregnant woman or a child should be 
given each day, for example, and it requires that CBP provide 
toothbrushes and diapers, the chance to bathe at least once a day, and 
meets everyone's basic daily need to drink enough water.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my fellow representatives to support these 
straightforward reforms to prevent the deaths of children, and ensure 
our treatment of women, children, and families seeking asylum is 
consistent with the basic principles of human dignity.

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