Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I now ask that the Senator from Arizona be recognized. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona. Ms. McSALLY. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Alaska for organizing this--both sides of the aisle--so we can begin to have our voices heard for those we represent here on the Senate floor. I came yesterday from Yuma, AZ, and the day before I was in Nogales, AZ. I visited Nogales's port of entry and the CBP officers coming to work every single day now without pay. On Monday, they processed 2,000 trucks through the port of entry there. That cross-border commerce is so important for an economy like Arizona's and for jobs. They also seized 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, which are contributing to the opioid crisis and the drug crisis in our country. Morale is still pretty good because they still know how important it is for them to be there on the watch and do their job. However, it is unacceptable that they are being asked to come to work and not being paid. As was said by other colleagues, some of the lower level officers--the younger individuals early on the job--have no reserves. I talked to several of them. They are very concerned about what is going to happen when they miss a second paycheck here in the next day. When I went to Yuma and talked to the Border Patrol, it was the same thing. They need to be on the job. They want to be on the job. They know how important it is for our country and for border security.…”