Political Quotes

“let me express my appreciation to the majority leader for highlighting this crisis at the border. There is no State more directly impacted in our United States than the State of Texas. We, obviously, share 1,200 miles of common border with Mexico, and this is a humanitarian crisis. As the majority leader said, not only the New York Times editorial page, but Barack Obama in 2014 called far fewer numbers than are coming across today a humanitarian and security crisis then, and it has gotten nothing but worse. I appreciate the leader's bringing this to a head and holding Members accountable. We know that people talk a good game sometimes, but there is nowhere to hide when it comes to an up-or-down vote on this emergency appropriations bill. I would add that there are other measures taking place. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, as the Presiding Officer knows, is working on a bill that would address the underlying asylum laws, which are being exploited by the human smugglers who are getting rich moving people across Mexico from Central America into the United States and charging them between $5,000 and $10,000 a head--sometimes more. It has been the unwillingness of the Democrats to engage on that underlying asylum law and a fix there that has precipitated or contributed to this humanitarian crisis. Mr. McCONNELL. Will the Senator from Texas yield for a question?”