Political Quotes

“I commend Ranking Member McCollum and Chairman Calvert for their hard work on the Interior Appropriations bill, and also Ranking Member Quigley and Chairman Graves for their work on the Financial Services Appropriations bill. But, unfortunately, I cannot support this misguided appropriations package. The bill before us today fails to fund critical domestic programs that safeguard our air and water or to adequately secure our elections. Last year, after an unprecedented attack on a democracy, we came to a bipartisan consensus on the need for funding election security and included $380 million in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This year, the majority zeroed out the account for election security assistance. Given the indictments handed down by Special Counsel Mueller last week and the disgraceful performance by the President of the United States in Helsinki yesterday, I cannot think of a more important account to fund than one for election security. If the President of the United States is unwilling to stand up to Putin and defend our democracy, it is incumbent upon us as Members of a coequal branch of government to do so. This bill fails the American people in so many crucial ways, but if it fails to protect our elections, we risk eroding the vital accountability that undergirds our democracy. Madam Chair, we are at a critical juncture in our Nation's history.…”