Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman Roybal-Allard for her leadership on the Homeland Security Subcommittee, and for her ideas on how we secure the border. I also want to thank the ranking member, my friend from Tennessee; the full committee ranking woman, Kay Granger, for the work that she has done; and our leader, Mrs. Lowey, the chairwoman of the full committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this joint resolution to reopen the government and the Department of Homeland Security. As we have said all along, we must first open up the government, and we can negotiate. We have always done that. We have always kept the government open and then we negotiate. We are doing this so the Federal employees do not suffer. It has been 34 days since the government shutdown, far surpassing any other previous record. That means that it has been 34 days that 800,000 Federal employees have not received pay. I live at the border. I don't just go and visit the border. I drink the water. I breathe the air. I talk to Border Patrol agents almost every day. I have talked to CBP officers every day. I talk to TSA officers. I talk to other folks, and they are doing absolutely critical work to keep us safe, but not receiving a salary. Open up the government. Imagine trying to patrol the border or keep airline passengers safe without receiving a single dime for the last 34 days. You might be concerned about not being able to pay your mortgage, your car payment, food, and medicine.…”