House Republicans ask HHS for records of all taxpayer dollars directed towards migrant children

House Republicans are asking Health and Human Services (HHS) for records of taxpayer funds spent on unaccompanied children coming across the border -- after reports that more than $2 billion has been diverted to helping with the crisis.

The lawmakers cited a Politico report that HHS has diverted more than $2 billion meant for other health initiatives toward caring for unaccompanied children crossing the border -- including money for expanded COVID-19 testing and the nation’s Strategic National Stockpile. An HHS spokesperson told the outlet that it has worked with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to keep the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) unaccompanied children operation funded.