Political Quotes

“Here we go again, Mr. Speaker. For the second time in the last 6 months, I come to the floor of this body totally perplexed by the mistaken belief of my Republican colleagues that throwing billions more taxpayer dollars down the prison-building sinkhole will somehow miraculously solve the crime problems we face in this country. In the words of Bart Simpson, Mr. Speaker, "Aye Carumba!" H.R. 667, the Violent Criminal Incarceration Act, strips $2.5 billion in already scarce and long-awaited police and prevention dollars from last year's Crime Control Act without a second thought. You know it's funny that the GOP vehemently rejects targeting Federal grants for these particular initiatives, but doesn't even flinch in deciding to impose an overwhelming number of Federal conditions for prison building grants included in H.R. 667. What is even more confusing to me is the fact that, after the last few weeks of spirited rhetoric from the other side of the aisle about the inherently evil nature of unfunded mandates, we have a bill before us today which would impose just such mandates on many States. Under H.R. 667, the awarding of prison grants is contingent upon States meeting extremely stringent and largely unworkable sentencing requirements.”