Political Quotes

“Well here we are. And for more than 2 months, our colleagues and friends across the aisle have decided that they were going to hold the Department of Homeland Security shut down, kind of hold them hostage. And for that same 2 months, Republicans have been trying every single day to negotiate with them in good faith to find a resolution to this. Well, they claimed, if they could just reform ICE, they would be happy. And, where reasonable, the White House offered to implement updated guidelines for ICE agents, including expanding the use of body-worn cameras, limiting civil immigration enforcement at certain sensitive locations, and enforcing the use of visible officer ID during enforcement actions. Well, that sounds reasonable. Those were all things they wanted. But do you know what? All of a sudden, that wasn't enough. They rejected every offer to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. Since February, they have taken 16 votes--not 1 or 2, but 16 votes--against reopening the Department of Homeland Security. One thing has become very clear, and it is this: For the Democrats, shutting down DHS is not a means to accomplish other policy goals. It is not a negotiating tactic. Keeping Homeland Security shut down is the goal. That is what they want. Now, you come to that realization because when everything you put on the table--things they have said they are for, things they have said they wanted to see done--and they reject it all. They reject it all.”