Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I point out to my colleague that Senator Mikulski and I have introduced a clean bill that addresses funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The fact is we find ourselves in this situation on the appropriations bill because of the riders that were attached by the House of Representatives. Those riders defund immigration directives that were issued by the President last year. Yesterday, the senior Senator from Texas suggested that Senate Democrats don't want to debate immigration. In fact, we are happy to debate immigration. In fact, this body, in 2013, passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill with a very strong bipartisan vote. The debate we are having today is about whether we are going to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The bill that is before us raises concerns about what is in the original clean bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security. As the Senator from North Dakota and I were just discussing, Senate Republicans control the Senate. If they want to vote on immigration measures, they can bring a bill that would do that to the floor by the end of this week because they control what we consider in the Senate. But the issue that is before us today is whether we are going to fund the Department of Homeland Security. This is an issue that is critical because right now our Nation faces serious national security and terrorism threats.…”