Political Quotes

“I rise today to set the record straight on the President's border wall--quite frankly, something he didn't talk about much last night during his speech to the country. But the truth is, this is where the problem is. So I want to talk about it a little bit today. The President made it crystal clear--dozens of times, in fact--that he was prepared to shut down the government in order to get the $5.7 billion for the wall, leading up to that speech last night. So here we are today, day 19 of President Trump's shutdown. Political gamesmanship? Well, that is nothing new in Washington, DC, but the fact is, our debates need to be grounded in facts. So here are the facts: The President's demand for $5.7 billion for a border wall is tall in hyperbole and wide on theatrics but short on facts. Last night, the President said that Congress has refused to provide the resources needed to secure the border. That is not true. In fiscal year 2018, Congress gave the President $1.3 billion to construct fencing and other fixed structures along the southern border. I know so because I worked side by side with my Republican colleagues to write that bill. Today, not one of those projects is under construction--not one. Strong border security is much more than physical barriers. Congress appropriated $21 billion for immigration enforcement and border security in last year's Homeland Security Appropriations Act.…”