Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this bill. Unfortunately, by considering this bill today, we are abandoning a spirit of bipartisanship that has allowed us to work across the aisle four times this year to pass critical coronavirus relief legislation. This bill was crafted without input from Members on our side of the aisle, and it does not have the support needed to pass the Senate or be signed by the President. There are some things included that I support, such as helping small businesses that are desperate for a lifeline, enabling the airline industry to continue to pay its employees, providing additional assistance to help schools continue reopening, and increasing testing for the virus. Yet, I cannot overlook, nor can I overstate, the significant problems I have with this bill. First, it totals more than $2 trillion, which is more than we appropriate for an entire year. But what may be even more concerning is that buried in the more than 2,000 pages of text are partisan provisions that are unrelated to the pandemic. These additions will not move us any closer to defeating this virus. In fact, they will only further divide us. For example, there is language in the bill that encourages State and local governments to release violent criminals in order to get more funding. It prohibits immigration laws from being carried out and enforcement actions to be taken.…”