BORDER/CENTRAL AMERICA/DEMS/FEDERAL FUNDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday [6-21-19] proposed reinstating hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras that was cut off by the Trump administration because thousands of their citizens sought asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico. The proposal was tucked into a bill to provide $4.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to address the surge of migrants at the southern U.S. border. Republican President Donald Trump has sought that funding for U.S. programs that house, feed, transport and oversee the record numbers of Central American families seeking asylum and straining capacity at migrant shelters in U.S. border cities. But the Trump administration cut aid to the three Central American countries earlier this week after Trump expressed unhappiness with their immigration policies. Congressional aides said the administration told them some $550 million in aid would be reallocated or suspended. Democratic lawmakers have said it was cruel to slash aid to countries that are grappling with hunger and crime, and that the move would be counterproductive because it would more likely increase the number of migrants than decrease it.”
–Susan Cornwell, “House Democrats propose reinstating aid to Central America,” Reuters, June 21, 2019 12:50 pm