On the recordJuly 31, 2014
The bill that is before the Senate contains $3.57 billion of emergency spending, a reduction of $1 billion, to help fund and care for the children who seek refuge and to fight the criminal traffickers at the border. We fund fighting wildfires for our States and we also help Israel replenish its interceptor rockets. What happens if the motion to waive fails? If the Senate fails to waive the point of order, the bill will go back to the Appropriations Committee, but the urgent need will remain. If the Senate fails to waive the point of order, agencies will take from other programs to fund this compelling need. What does that mean? It means that HHS, which has already cut $138 million from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and others--we could have an ebola crisis in the world, and maybe even come to our border, and we are fooling around cutting HHS and CDC and other agencies. Please, let's look at what we are doing. Homeland Security is also spending resources that would otherwise be used to secure the border, such as FEMA disaster relief money has to be there if we have a hurricane. Simply put, failing to act is irresponsible. Let's waive the Budget Act, let's get on with the bill, and let's do our job. I yield back my time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
