Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019. This bill is similar to the disaster supplemental that passed the House in January. We have been waiting for the Senate to act on their version of the supplemental for several months. Unfortunately, taking up a disaster bill for the second time without addressing the administration's concerns will not increase its chance of becoming law. While this bill assists many communities struggling to recover from hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes, I have to oppose this measure today. I am particularly concerned about repairs that are needed for severely damaged military installations. We must return these facilities to a condition that can support our men and women in uniform. Unfortunately, the needs are actually greater than what is funded in this bill. I am also concerned that the bill fails to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the border. The rule for this bill does not allow us to consider an amendment to provide humanitarian relief and enhanced security at the border. On my recent visits to the border, I have seen firsthand that the crisis is getting worse every day. The numbers are staggering. In April alone, Customs and Border Protection made 109,000 apprehensions on the southwest border. More than half of these were family units.…”