Political Quotes

“While I am pleased with the level of support provided in these pieces of legislation for essential military, veterans, defense, and water resources programs, they should not serve as vehicles to make substantive policy changes to our Nation's gun laws or gut important environmental protections; nor should we stand idly by while Republicans in Congress slash funding for critically important veterans and military services under the guise of a spending increase. Now, Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I talked about last night, I offered an amendment that would self-execute to the rule that would strike section 107 from the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. This is one of the riders in H.R. 2028 that would allow guns to be carried on Army Corps land. If enacted in its current form, this legislation would strip the Secretary of the Army from using the discretion currently provided to enforce or revise the Corps' policy prohibiting firearms on Corps land. Removing the discretionary powers from law enforcement officials that allow them to determine what is best for the security of our Nation's infrastructure and the safety of public employees, in my judgment, is dangerous and wrong. Substantive changes to our gun laws do not belong in an appropriations bill. And that could not have happened but for a waiver, which my friends tend to do for a variety of measures, and they wind up being poison pills in substantive legislation.…”