NEWS AND OPINION:
A Lone Star State Republican has neutralized claims from his Democratic peers and the news media that migrant families and unaccompanied minors are being seriously abused in U.S. Border Patrol shelters. It’s simply not true, says Rep. Chip Roy, who has personally toured the facilities in his district, as have members of his staff.
“The truth of what is happening there is very different — very different — from what is being portrayed by the media and by colleagues who are distorting the truth. The claims that kids don’t have showers is false. The claims they don’t have toothbrushes is false. The claims that they don’t have diapers is false,” Mr. Roy told Breitbart News.
“The Hispanic Caucus making some of these claims did the tour, the exact same tour, I am told, that my chief of staff took. They saw that there was plenty of water, food, blankets, bunks, plenty of staff, plenty of medical staff on hand, cleaning staff, friendly agents — agents that were playing soccer with the kids,” the lawmaker said, citing one New York Democrat in particular.
“You had Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez complaining about the supposed drinking of toilet water. Well, that’s nonsense. There were coolers of water literally right outside of the rooms,” Mr. Roy continued, noting that the now infamous toilet-connected sinks also have perfectly clean water.
Democrats would tour a facility, he said, praise the agents, and then claim they saw “kids in cages” during media interviews.
“The idea that they are turning this into a political stunt just tells you everything you need to know about politics in 2019,” Mr. Roy said. “They are doing this for cynical political purposes and I’m tired of it.”
ABOUT THAT CITIZENSHIP QUESTION
Two-thirds of voters approve of a citizenship question on the 2020 census, and that includes a majority of Hispanic voters — despite claims by Democratic lawmakers that the inquiry would discourage participation in Hispanic communities.
A Harvard University/Harris poll found that 67% of all U.S. voters say the census should ask the citizenship question. That includes 88% of Republicans, 63% of independents and 52% of Democrats. Most notably, the poll found that 55% of Hispanic voters favor the idea.
Also in agreement: 74% of rural voters, 59% of black voters, 58% of urban voters and 47% of voters who backed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. At 44%, liberal voters were the least likely to favor the citizenship question. At the other end of the scale, 92% of Trump voters and 90% of conservatives back the question. The poll of 2,182 registered voters was conducted June 26-29.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway challenged why the citizenship question should even be an issue on the census — which makes a variety of personal household inquiries.
“We’re asking people how many toilets in your house and you don’t want to know who’s using them? It’s absolutely ridiculous — and this is why the president is fighting for the question’s inclusion,” Mrs. Conway told Fox News.
“The census is important, and as President Trump has mentioned, we spend about $20 billion on it. We have said it’s an important exercise. So why not get it right? The census in the past has been increasingly responsive to changes in American demography. I would ask the Democrats — I hear they’re screaming rhetoric — I would ask what are you afraid of? Why wouldn’t you want to know who’s living in this country, and who’s a citizen and who’s not a citizen?” Mrs. Conway asked.
THE TROUBLE WITH EDUCATORS
Pro-lifers are not happy with the National Education Association’s decision to support a “fundamental right to abortion under Roe v. Wade,” as spelled out a new business “item” which adopted by the organization — which cited ’the most misogynistic forces, under Trump,” among other things.
“For more than three decades the NEA has denied taking a pro-abortion position. This vote removes all doubt about where they stand,” says Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life grassroots group.
“It is appalling and flies in the face of logic that America’s largest educators’ union, claiming to speak for more than three million members nationwide, would side with the extreme abortion lobby in embracing an explicitly anti-child and anti-family stance. While purporting to be nonpartisan, the assembly went on record attacking President Trump and his pro-life agenda. We encourage pro-life teachers and parents to stand up and voice their opposition loudly and clearly to union leadership.”
YES, MR. PRESIDENT, IT IS ’EPIC’
Six days ago, President Trump had a message for the nation.
“Together we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told — the story of America. It is the epic tale of a great nation whose people have risked everything for what they know is right,” the president said during his rousing July Fourth speech.
Democrats and the news media immediately lashed out at such language. But no matter. Americans agree with him
A tidy new Rasmussen Report poll finds that 73% of likely U.S. voters agree with Mr. Trump’s statement, 12% disagree, while 15% are undecided.
KAVANAUGH OPUS ALREADY AT NO. 1
“Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court” by Mollie Hemingway and Carrie Severino was at No. 1 on Amazon in overall books and in three interest categories by the time it was published Tuesday.
Ms. Hemingway is senior editor of The Federalist, and Ms. Severino the chief counsel and policy director of the Judicial Crisis Network.
The meticulously researched book tracks the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, was published by Regnery, and has won praise from former U.S. Attorney Edwin Meese and Robert H. Bork Jr.
“It is a riveting inside look at the nasty politics of character assassination that have plagued the confirmation process going back to my father, Robert H. Bork,” he notes.
POLL DU JOUR
• 50% of Republicans say local governments should provide the homeless with beds, shelter and charity assistance; 48% of independents and 45% of Democrats agree.
• 19% of Republicans say governments have no obligation to help; 13% of independents and 3% of Democrats agree.
• 12% of Republicans say governments should provide all homeless with beds in a shelter; 19% of independents and 30% of Democrats agree.
• 8% of Republicans say sleeping in the street should be illegal; 5% of independents and 2% of Democrats agree.
• 4% of Republicans say all homeless should be provided with free housing; 9% of independents and 16% of Democrats agree.
Source: A YouGov poll of 47,302 U.S. adults conducted June 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.