Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this misguided legislation offered under the false pretense that it has something to do with the tragic murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco. Make no mistake, Miss Steinle's killer should not have been on the streets. We must get to the bottom of the official misjudgment and negligence and the bureaucratic breakdown that led to this tragedy. As the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the Committee on Appropriations, I take a backseat to no one when it comes to deporting dangerous criminal aliens who pose a threat to public safety. But we also need to be very clear about this: this tragedy has nothing to do with so-called sanctuary cities. The bill before us would punish some of the most vulnerable cities high on the UASI list--places like San Francisco, New York, Miami, Chicago--punish them for exercising their lawful discretion in dealing with noncriminals or those with minor violations. They do this in order to protect the public and enforce the law, which requires trust and cooperation with immigrant communities. To scapegoat entire cities and make law enforcement less effective through this bill is simply inexcusable. I urge its defeat.”