Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment and want to thank Ms. Jayapal for allowing me time to speak in support. As she outlined, this amendment would restrict the Department of Homeland Security from using any emergency funds from being reprogrammed to add beds at immigration detention centers. Last year, during the historic hurricane season that ravaged Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and parts of Texas, the White House brazenly shifted millions of dollars slated for recovery to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in order to fund the immoral detention of refugees and other immigrants as part of its horrible zero tolerance policy. Throughout the Gulf Coast, but especially in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. Businesses must reopen, power infrastructure needs to be restored and made more resilient, and communities must be rebuilt, yet President Trump is threatening to declare a phony national emergency so he can take these critical funds and put them toward a useless, medieval wall and other components of his cruel immigration policies. I am happy to support this amendment, Madam Chair.”