Pete Sessions: “I would like to share a few remarks about the amendment I have offered, No. 4775. It is to actually fund the border…”

“I would like to share a few remarks about the amendment I have offered, No. 4775. It is to actually fund the border barriers and fencing that we authorized by an 83-to-16 vote just a few weeks ago, on May 17. This Senate said that is what we wanted to do. Unfortunately, when the more appropriate time came to fund it, we failed to have the money to do it. I think there is a great deal of cynicism among the American people about Congress's commitment to actually creating a lawful system of immigration for America. They are not only cynical, but they are determined to see to it that Congress does. We are the vehicles for the American people to accomplish national goals of importance. As a person who had been a law enforcement officer for many years involving Federal law, it is just heartbreaking to see, with regard to immigration, law made a mockery. People have every right to be upset with us, upset with the President--this President--and previous Presidents, previous Congresses. Twenty years ago, in 1986, we developed a system that was supposed to work to deal with immigration. We gave a one-time amnesty to several million people. We promised we were going to make the system work in the future. And we never funded anything that would work. That is undisputable. It just cannot be denied by any person, I do not think, who would look at the situation as it has developed since 1986. There was a promise to do something. That promise was not fulfilled.…”