U.S. Senator Katie Britt’s Laken Riley Act Passes House, Heads to President Trump to be First Bill Signed into Law by the 47th President
‘Congress is back to working for the American people once again’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt’s (R-Ala.) S.5, the Laken Riley Act, today passed the U.S. House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 263-156. The passage of this legislation is the most significant immigration enforcement and border security related bill to pass Congress in nearly three decades. The bill now heads to President Donald J. Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
“With the House passage of the Laken Riley Act today, this landmark bill now heads to President Trump’s desk to not only be signed into law, but to be the first law he signs as the 47th President,” said Senator Britt. “The American people spoke loud and clear in November demanding change—demanding border security and keeping American families safe. Senate Republicans listened. House Republicans, with the leadership of Congressman Mike Collins, listened, and, today, Congress turned promises made into promises kept. Working alongside President Trump, our Republican majorities are going to continue fighting to make America safe again and secure our border.”
Congressman Mike Collins (R-Ga.) introduced the bill in the House during the 118th and 119th Congress.
The bill as passed includes Senator John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) provision mirroring the POLICE Act, which expanded the list of criminal offenses covered by the bill to include assault of a law enforcement officer, and an amendment that mirrors Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) legislation, Sarah’s Law, which will require the detention of illegal aliens who commit any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury. Sarah’s Law is named after Sarah Root, who was killed in a car crash by an illegal alien whose blood alcohol concentration was three times the legal limit. She died nearly nine years ago.
“The Laken Riley Act is bipartisan legislation that fixes a bipartisan problem, and I am proud that the country has come together to ensure that no family must live through the pain that an illegal immigrant has caused Riley’s. Laken Riley was in school to save lives, and although her opportunities were taken away, her name will live on as this bill prevents deaths like hers,” said Rep. Mike Collins.
Prior to the vote, Senator Britt spoke on the Senate floor applauding the Laken Riley Act’s imminent passage in the House. Select excerpts are below.
“After nearly a yearlong battle over the Laken Riley Act, this week, we decided to put the security of the American people first, take the first step towards ending an era of open-border policies, and we passed the bill. It is impossible to overstate just how great an achievement it is that we came together to send the Laken Riley Act to the President’s desk . . .
“With our Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, Congress is back to working for the American people once again. The American people made their voices heard on November 5th, Mr. President, and they told this city that they would no longer tolerate a government that ignored our border crisis, they would no longer put up with open borders, unsafe streets, and soft-on-crime policies. Congress listened, and we have delivered. But we’re not finished yet . . .
“With President Donald Trump back in office and with our majorities ready to work with him, we are headed towards creating a safer, more secure, incredible country, and the Laken Riley Act is no doubt a step in that direction. Now is the time to turn the page from the past four years. To think about what we can do together to turn the will of the American people into action. To do the things a government is meant to do — provide security for its people, ensure its streets are safe, and enforce the rule of law . . .
“. . . thank you to the rest of my colleagues, here in this body and the ones in the House, for coming together, for putting partisan differences aside to find common ground to actually achieve a result, and for showing the American people they can trust their elected representatives to listen, to understand, and to do the right thing.”
Senator Britt’s full remarks can be viewed here.
The Laken Riley Act will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses, assault of a law enforcement officer, or any crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury, so they cannot reoffend and commit further crimes. This legislation will also ensure states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law.
Senators Britt and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), along with the entire Republican conference and Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), reintroduced the Laken Riley Act in the 119th Congress.
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