Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this measure as it is presented to us. I truly regret that as a member of the subcommittee, I cannot support this bill today, as it does include several bipartisan measures that do deserve our support. Perhaps the best example of this is the $14.2 billion provided to the Coast Guard, an increase of $1.3 billion over the last fiscal year. This funding does reflect the hard-earned recognition of the Coast Guard's unique role and capability in defending American priorities and advancing our engagement in the face of geopolitical competition, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The $60 million proposed by the bill will allow the Coast Guard to base another medium endurance cutter in the Pacific. The $1.2 million provided for the Coast Guard's Indo-Pacific workforce project, and other report language and funding provisions for their expanded presence in the Pacific Islands region, are encouraging to see, and they do demonstrate that we can work in a bipartisan manner to get things done. Despite some sound decisions here and there in other parts of the bill, it remains riddled with misguided avoidance and other priorities that I cannot support. Nowhere is this more evident than in its treatment of the overall subject of immigration in general and securing our border in particular.…”