WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Sen. John Cornyn issued the following news release:

Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) moved to pass his Kayla Hamilton Act, which he introduced to require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct thorough background and criminal record checks on unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and potential sponsors prior to their placement, via unanimous consent and later blasted Democrat Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) for blocking its passage. This legislation is named in honor of Kayla Hamilton, a young woman who was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered by a 17-year-old MS-13 gang member and UAC who illegally entered the country through the southern border and was released by the Bi...