Political Quotes

“in my State of Florida, we are now receiving thousands of refugees and people seeking asylum from countries such as Cuba, generally under agreements that have been reached between the United States Federal Government and foreign governments, and now the Federal Government is going to take the position that it washes its hands of the financial responsibilities that flow from that. The second big difference is the impact on State and local governments. The bill that we passed would have had a cost transferred to State and local governments of approximately $5.6 billion over the next 7 years. This bill, if you would believe it, would have a cost transfer to State and local governments of up to $23 billion over the next 7 years. I suggest, Mr. President, in respect to the work that this Senate has already done on the immigration bill and the efforts that are currently being made in conference to reconcile the House and the Senate versions, that it is inappropriate for us at this hour under these constrained parliamentary procedures to take up a provision that would fundamentally change the decisions that we have already made, increase the cost to State and local governments by potentially three times or more than in the legislation that we have already passed, and place literally hundreds of communities and tens of thousands of people in serious jeopardy by our ill-considered actions.”