Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I hope that all Members of this body are really listening carefully to this debate. And what really is at stake here is how much money, what additional resources, each and every of your respective States are going to receive under each of these proposals. States are starved for resources to fund prisons, both construction and for operating those prisons. We have a number of States right now, as we sit debating this issue, that do not have enough money to operate the empty prison beds that they already have. Some States it is not a question of building the prisons. They do not even have enough money to operate the prisons, so the real question is under which version of this bill do we get the State money for prison construction and operation. Under which provision, which proposal do we do that? And I submit to you, and I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York which gets the fastest, the most money to all of the States to operate and build prisons.”