Louisiana Republicans to Reid: Bring Senate back from recess

House Republicans from Louisiana on Friday urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to call back his members and pass a bill to address the border crisis.

The letter to Reid was initiated by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and the other four House Republican members of the Louisiana congressional delegation: Reps. Bill Cassidy, Charles Boustany, John Fleming and Vance McAllister. Cassidy is in a competitive race to unseat Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). 

{mosads}”The crisis at our southern border is too big a problem for the Senate to ignore, and we urge you to call the Senate back into session,” the lawmakers wrote.

Last Friday, the House passed a bill that would provide $694 million to deploy the National Guard, hire new immigration judges and amend a 2008 trafficking law so that child migrants from Central America can be sent back faster. Meanwhile, the $2.7 billion Senate bill stalled last week after it failed to clear a 60-vote procedural threshold.

The Louisiana Republicans argued the Senate should cancel its August recess and at least pass legislation to address the surge of child migrants crossing the border.

“It is disappointing that the Senate has chosen to adjourn for the next five weeks without passing a bill to address this crisis,” they wrote. “This problem will not go away on its own.”