Cord Byrd: “Mr. President, we hear this is a compromise bill. It is a compromise, all right. It is a compromise of our civil…”

“Mr. President, we hear this is a compromise bill. It is a compromise, all right. It is a compromise of our civil liberties. It is a compromise of our separation of powers. It is a compromise of our checks and balances. It is a compromise of workers' rights. There are many compromises in this bill. To express it as a compromise is a term that is often used around here in the legislative halls. Legislation is the art of compromise. We often compromise on legislation. Compromise on legislation is a series of compromises among Republicans and Democrats, and among committees. But, in this sense, this is a far different animal we have here. By passing this legislation, we are all complicit in a giant hoax. This is the worst kind of game playing possible in trying to foist this Department onto the American people as a substitute for real action on homeland security. This Congress and this administration are both being irresponsible. Instead of providing the American people with real security, we are offering them a placebo, a sugar pill that will not protect them and will not make them safer, not by even the slightest measurement.”