House Republicans indicated Tuesday that they would take their time to consider the Obama administration’s request for another $3.7 billion to deal with the flood of illegal immigrants over the southern U.S. border.
The White House indicated Tuesday that it would seek $1.8 billion in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, which is housing more than 52,000 unaccompanied children while they await deportation proceedings.
The White House also wants another $1.9 billion to boost border enforcement efforts, which includes more money for Justice Department officials to help speed up the deportation process. The $3.7 billion total is nearly twice as much as the $2 billion the White House was expected to request.
In addition, the White House is seeking an additional $600 billion to fight wildfires in western states. That puts the total request at $4.3 billion, although the wildfire funding may help build support among Republicans from these western states.
Several Republican offices said they were still digesting the details of the proposal. But a few indicated that it could take several weeks before the package can be passed by the House.