On the recordJanuary 10, 2019
To the White House: Sign the bill and open up the government. Today, the President is in my home State, impossible for him to see the entire border on the southern border and to realize that work has been done for almost two decades on barriers, and that is why only 12 known or alleged terrorists have crossed that border as compared to the unfenced northern border, which was where the 2000 terrorists coming across the border as the century turned occurred. Tomorrow, there will be faithful Federal employees who will not get their money, many in Texas: 9,000 Treasury employees are stationed in Texas, 5,700 Homeland Security; the airports in my district, with 51,000 screeners, may miss their first paychecks; and Johnson Space Center--hardworking Americans. This is no time for one's ego or one's preference of what type of barrier. It is a time for those of us who care about border security, Democrats who give billions of dollars, including $1.3 billion that we gave in this budget and $1.6 billion. Open the government and pay these people their checks. I look forward to meeting with Federal employees. Call my office. We want to give you as much help as we can. Open the government. That is what should be done. Mr. Speaker, because this President insists on an immoral and ineffective border wall, he has shut down the government and said he would be proud to do it. This is a presidential temper tantrum.…
