July 3, 2018 Press Release

Ahead of July 4th Recess, Watchdog Group Announces Six-Figure Ad Buys Calling on Representatives Curbelo & Lance to Reunite Families

Constituents Demand Action, Not More Empty Rhetoric from Representatives

07.02.18 – As Congress adjourns for the July 4th holiday and Members of Congress head back to their districts, Equity Forward Action announced two ad buys calling on Representative Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Representative Leonard Lance (R-NJ) to do their jobs and hold the Trump Administration accountable. As the ads launch, the federal government is still detaining more than thousand children who have been separated from their families.

The ad, entitled “Thousands,” starts airing today, Monday, July 2nd in New Jersey and Miami and will run through the July 4th Congressional recess.

Watch “Thousands — Lance” HERE

Watch “Thousands — Curbelo” HERE

“As Representatives Curbelo and Lance head home to their districts, thousands of innocent children continue to be detained in prison-like facilities. We have a simple message for Curbelo and Lance: it’s time to do your jobs, get to the bottom of what happened and hold the administration accountable for this inhumane and cruel policy,” said Mary Alice Carter, Executive Director of Equity Forward Action.

Curbelo and Lance both sit on powerful Congressional committees that have the ability to exercise broad oversight of government agencies, yet neither of their committees have held a single hearing on any issues related to child separation this year. Earlier this week, HHS officials refused to say if the government was still separating children from their families, yet MSNBC reported that HHS confirmed children were still being separated.

Carter continued, “What are members of Congress like Carlos Curbelo and Leonard Lance doing to address this crisis? They’re not passing legislation, they’re not solving the crisis, and they’re not even trying to find out how the administration planned and implemented this policy. All we hear from them is talk, when their constituents want — and deserve — action.”

Last week, Equity Forward released polling of likely voters in Curbelo and Lance’s districts, finding that significant numbers of Republicans and Trump supporters strongly support Congressional action to stop this new policy.  Additionally, those same individuals support increasing the accountability and transparency of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) – the office within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tasked with overseeing the housing and wellbeing of the thousands of children separated from their parents as a result of the Trump Administration’s unprecedented policy. Specifically:

  • Three-quarters of likely voters (78%) in Carlos Curbelo’s district (FL-26) say they are concerned about this policy, including 50% of self-described Conservative Republicans and 55% of voters with a favorable view of Trump, while;
  • Three-quarters of likely voters (74%) in Leonard Lance’s district (NJ-07)  support Congress acting to increase the accountability and transparency of ORR and HHS regarding these offices role in the separation of migrant children from their parents.

For complete poll findings, click HERE.

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