The crime victims really don't have rights under the origin of the Old English common law.

if the taxpayers that were funding then at $18,000 a year to incarcerate criminals actually had to pay the full amount of the damage due to crime, they would then incarcerate criminals--more of them and longer because it would be a better…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the bill, before the short title, add the following new section: Sec. 514. None of the funds…

My amendment is an amendment that I brought up in previous appropriation cycles. What it does is defunds and eliminates the Davis-Bacon federally mandated wage scale components in the construction of MILCON on this underlying bill. It…

First, in response to the gentleman's argument of a fair wage for a fair day's pay, that is determined by supply and demand in the marketplace. This is the United States of America, and on the flashcard the USCIS puts out, they say: What…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Iowa will be postponed.

I believe all the evidence strongly supports that he's wrong about that.

I believe, are uttering an ungrounded statement in that that clause, that troublesome clause of 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' defined it differently for clear reasons.

And I would say that if we had that same sentiment applied to the people who are locked up in our prisons, there wouldn't be anyone in our prisons.

How do we get the constitutional question answered?

So the illegal parents, are they going to decide, or are we going to decide as representatives of the people of the United States of America?

I would suggest one thing: We have, for the last 40 or 50 years, adopted the notion by piecemeal and by osmosis almost that mere birth on U.S. soil is enough.

the fundamental break we made with that idea in the Declaration of Independence is we form a body politic by mutual consent.

I just make the point that the President is making up immigration laws as he goes.

I don't think he has the constitutional authority to do that.

This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners or aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every…

If we are to accept this newfound version of birthright citizenship... you can demand automatic citizenship, blows a hole through that notion of consent of the governed.

I presume, on DACA and DAPA and the Morton memos and these components that have put this country through this strife that we have, you have looked at those constitutionally.

I don't think I'm hearing an argument as to why it would be a good idea to grant automatic citizenship to any baby that could be born in the United States to any mother who could find a way to get into the United States.

I will just say our policy reunites them in their home country.

I find it ironic that just a year and half ago, December 2013, when Judge Hanen wrote an opinion that there was a coyote who had smuggled a 10 year-old girl into the United States.

I would note the irony that one side is angry when you enforce the law, the other side is angry when you don't enforce the law.

I think your responses have been very well done and on point here today.

I agree with that but if they are giving permits for Guatemalans to have 72 hours as long as they are in transit to McAllen Texas, I don't call that cooperating with our policy.

The results will be simply less competition for the benefit of the American consumer.