Political Quotes

“Madam President, I voted against Senator Vitter's bill. I believe it goes much too far. My longer statement is in the Record, but I want to respond to some of what I heard today. I do believe we should ensure that there is a notification prior to release of a dangerous individual with a criminal record, just as Senator Schumer said on this floor. I do believe we could take a narrow action to do just that. We could focus on dangerous individuals and not on all undocumented immigrants who happen to be taken into State or local custody. We could require notification without threatening vital law enforcement and local government funding, as Senator Vitter's bill does. I had an amendment prepared for the Judiciary Committee's consideration when the committee had scheduled the bill for markup over a series of weeks, but the committee canceled its markup, so we were on the floor today with a bill that has never been heard in full by the Judiciary Committee. Senator Vitter's bill includes a notification requirement and a detention requirement. It is not limited to those who are dangerous or have particular criminal records. It would cover a farmworker who was detained for a broken taillight or a mother who was detained for similar reasons, taking her away from her children. This is a standard that could be abused in another administration, and it is potentially a huge unfunded mandate to impose on States and localities.…”