On the recordJanuary 13, 2015
I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Chairman, we will vote against these amendments. But the sad truth is you know, all of you, that if those amendments are put on this bill, the President of the United States will not sign it, and you will therefore have to take it him to court. And I see my friend back there--who is my friend--saying, yes, that is great, he won't sign it, and we will blame him for undermining Homeland Security. In other words, you are going to hold hostage the security, and if he doesn't do what you say, security be damned. That is not the way we ought to be running America, particularly on this issue. Americans expect better of us. More importantly, and as importantly, we ought to expect better of ourselves. The Appropriations Committee has agreed. The Senate and the House have agreed. There is consensus here. Americans are so frustrated by all of us grabbing defeat, obstruction, and disagreement from the jaws of consensus. Vote against these amendments so that all of us can vote to pass this important, critical bill.
