VIDEO: Congresswoman Ramirez Opposes H.R. 8771, FY25 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), the co-chair and founding member of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration, voted against the H.R.8771, the Republican-led Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2025.During a debate on the House floor, Ramirez called out Republicans for bringing a budget that weakens the nation’s participation in coordinated global efforts and fuels the crises of displacement, despite their claims of wanting to address the unprecedented levels of migration.
Representative Ramirez also challenged the harmful budget cuts by introducing an amendment to strike Republican prohibitions on global migration management efforts.
Transcript for Bill Debate:
I rise to strongly oppose H.R. 8771.
The fact we are debating this joke of a bill makes clear that some of my colleagues still remain ignorant of the ways in which the world is interconnected.
They deny the devastating consequences when our nation neglects our role, defunds diplomacy, and erodes our commitment to the international community.
The multi-front global crises facing this nation call for leadership and for our nation’s leaders to step up in partnership and cooperation.
Instead, Republicans are doubling down on poison pills that:
- Roll back our commitments around reproductive healthcare, LGBTQI+ rights, and climate change.
- Cut over $1 billion dollars to the United Nations and international bodies that hold war criminals accountable.
- Decimate life-saving humanitarian aid and gut migration and refugee assistance.
- Undermine Presidential authority and international laws
This bill is deeply unserious and I encourage my colleagues to vote no.
I yield back.
Transcript for Amendment:
Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 8771.
Today, I launch my new Global Migration Caucus.
So…
- While I will stand with colleagues to affirm there are those of us in Congress who want to be an effective ally to global efforts to create a safer, more equitable world where people can build the life they want and deserve at home….
- Today, my Republican colleagues seek to withdraw our participation in coordinated global efforts, eliminate critical support for migration management, and fuel the crises of displacement they claim they so desperately want to address.
We must not let their reckless and dangerous efforts go unchallenged.
My amendment would strike the harmful, hateful language of the underlying bill that prohibits the support of safe and humane migration management efforts around the world.
As Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I hear my colleagues talk about WHAT is happening at the border - especially at the Southern border.
But they ignore questions about WHY we are seeing a humanitarian crisis at our border.
They don’t want to talk about the root causes of migration.
Violence, democratic backsliding, economic exclusion, and climate change are just some of the crises driving families from their homes in search of safety and stability.
Everything I have witnessed throughout my official trips and conversations with families, governments, and civil society points to this truth:
- Our country's safety is fundamentally connected to the stability, security, and sustainability people experience - or do not experience - across the globe.
I’ve heard a mother talk with desperation about the sexual violence and trauma her 12-year-old endured while they crossed the Darién.
I heard stories of threats of violence and cartel intimidation that drove a mother to send her sons on a harrowing journey through dangerous migration routes.
For so many people around the world, the choice is: flee or die.
Again, it is no surprise to me that the party of reactionary, isolationist, fear-based, xenophobic politics doesn’t understand the ideal of cooperation and prevention.
Both cooperation and prevention require forethought, working across differences, embracing possibilities, and a commitment to inclusion - none of which are reflected in H.R. 8771.
An example: the bill specifically bans funding for the Safe Mobility Offices, which are a cost-effective part of the U.S. government’s strategy to reduce irregular migration within the Western Hemisphere.
So, to my Republican colleagues, which is it?
- Do you want less irregular migration?
- Or do you want to
- slash funding to address the conditions that drive displacement around the world and
- ban funding for programs to increase access to lawful humanitarian pathways in the United States and other countries?
- Because you can’t have both ways.
I encourage Republicans to – for once – think beyond the one-yard line.
To alleviate the unsustainable strain of unprecedented levels of migration today and to ensure communities everywhere are able to thrive, we need long-term solutions built on political will, regional partnerships, and a coordinated global approach.
I urge my colleagues to vote YES on my crucial amendment.
Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.