Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment to H.R. 2486. The Access to Counsel Act of 2020 is a way for the majority to test how far they can go toward their ultimate goal of taxpayer-funded counsel at every stage of the immigration process. I think we just heard that, that that is a stated goal. Many immigration interest groups have made no mystery of the fact that they believe foreign nationals have a right to come to the United States and should all receive taxpayer-funded counsel at every stage of the process. My colleagues across the aisle understand that it is currently a bridge too far to repeal outright the Immigration and Nationality Act provision that prohibits taxpayer-funded counsel during removal proceedings. But this amendment is a step forward in their march in that direction. The bill mandates that the DHS Secretary shall ensure that an individual who has been selected by Customs and Border Protection for secondary screening at a port of entry has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and an interested party during such screening. It is important to understand exactly what secondary screening is, why it is used, and the ramifications that this bill would have on the port of entry operations. My colleagues across the aisle provided the Judiciary Committee no opportunity to hear from DHS experts about any of these issues.…”