Recent polling shows great optimism about our country, as Americans believe they are better off today than they were before President Trump's conservative economic policies were enacted. According to a Gallup poll released on February 5…

the American public will not be fooled by this President's authoritarian action and word games intended to hide the bad behavior of his administration.

It is no secret that I am concerned with President Trump's border security policies.

One of the most wasteful of these policies is his fixation on a boondoggle border wall.

I think that is a fundamental principal of democracy in America that we should never take from anyone.

I would also remind Members that this administration has taken advantage of its authority to waive all legal requirements to build border barriers.

The President promised time and again that Mexico would pay for the wall. Instead, he has left American taxpayers to foot the bill.

It's simply not enough to hire diverse candidates at lower pay grades.

I thank the gentleman for yielding an additional minute. In years past, the signs have been stolen, thrown in the river, replaced; shot, replaced again; shot again; defaced with acid; and had ``KKK'' spray-painted on them. The signs were…

If we are the most technologically-advanced country in the world, but we are going to go back to the most primitive method of protection, which is a fence, that is saying that we need to change our modus of operation on a lot of things.

This administration has taken advantage of its authority to waive all legal requirements to build border barriers.

I thank Mr. Collins very much for yielding. This is kind of emotional for me, because I knew this young man's mother before she died, a very wonderful lady who suffered an unfortunate tragedy at the hands of some dastardly individuals. But…

Just because you are the Government is no reason for me to say I can take your land because I want to build a wall.

If the American taxpayers are paying for a political statement, then we have the right to review it.

A lack of diverse leadership can have a direct, adverse effect on hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse candidates.

I want us to--if we are going to talk about private property rights, let's keep it in the private property rights arena.

One of the most wasteful of these policies is fixation on a boondoggle border wall.

Worse still, hundreds of border residents will have their private land seized by the administration in order to build Trump's wall.