Franks, Blackburn bill says Obama has all the money and tools he needs to fix the border

Reps. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) say President Barack Obama has all the tools he needs to resolve the humanitarian crisis at the border, and have proposed a simple resolution calling on Obama to use them.

"[T]he president currently has the necessary tools at his disposal to solve the humanitarian crisis at the border with existing funding from Congress," the resolution reads.

Rep. Trent Franks(R-Ariz.) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have proposed a resolution saying Obama has all the authority he needs to fix the border, even as Congress prepares to spend billions. Kris Connor/Getty Images

Among other things, it calls on Obama to use border officers to control the border, send the message that illegal immigrant children will be returned home, stop using prosecutorial discretion to avoid deportations of people brought to the country illegally by their parents, and crack down on fraudulent asylum claims.

The recipe offered by Franks and Blackburn is far different from the ones being considered by Congress. The House and Senate have each proposed bills spending billions of dollars to boost both enforcement and federal health officials at the border, to deal with the roughly 60,000 kids who have crossed this year.

The Franks/Blackburn resolution says the administration essentially created the border crisis, through Obama's ongoing efforts to ease immigration rules and grant legal status to millions of illegal residents. Many Republicans have said this has acted as a magnet for Central American children.

Chief among the Obama policies cited by the resolution is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. But it also cites other dangerous policies, including he release of 36,000 criminal illegal immigrants from detention, and the increased approval of asylum cases.

"[A]pproval rates by United States Citizen and Immigration Services officers in affirmative asylum cases have increased from 28 percent in 2007 to 46 percent in 2013 and approval rates by immigration judges in affirmative asylum cases have increased from 51 percent in 2007 to 74 percent in 2013," it reads.

"[U]nder the Obama administration, 'credible fear' claims have increased 586 percent from 2007 to 2013, as the Obama Administration rubber-stamps applications," it added. "[I]n fiscal year 2013, 92 percent of 'credible fear' claims were approved on the merits."

This story was corrected to note the resolution is co-sponsored by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), not Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

Read the resolution here: