Sen. Cruz: Senate Democrats Are Playing Partisan Politics With Our National Security
Joins House and Senate Republicans in support of House DHS funding bill
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, today joined Republicans in a bicameral press conference to call on Senate Democrats to stop filibustering the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), passed by House Republicans earlier this year.
In his remarks Sen. Cruz said, “Senate Democrats cannot claim they support the Department of Homeland Security when they stand in the way and block funding DHS. We have a new Senate where amendments are finally allowed on the floor, if they don’t like provisions on the House bill, they should introduce an amendment and we can vote on the amendment. Seven Senate Democrats around election time told the voters they opposed President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty. If they were telling the truth, then why are they filibustering DHS funding?”
Transcript of Sen. Cruz’s remarks is below.
“All of us in the House and Senate are here united telling Senate Democrats ‘do not shut down the Department of Homeland Security’. We are in a time of growing threats at home and abroad and for Senate Democrats in a partisan vote to filibuster funding for the Department of Homeland Security is both reckless and irresponsible. The House of Representatives have done its job, it is voted on funding for DHS. And Senate Democrats are playing partisan politics with our national security by preventing the Senate from even taking up that funding bill. Now this week has been interesting because Senate Democrats have risen to the floor to give speeches, even at times it seemed like lyric poetry in praise of DHS. And yet I would suggest to our friends in the fourth estate that every one of those Democrats when they walk off the Senate floor you should be asking them, ‘if DHS funding is so important why are you filibustering funding for DHS?’
“Senate Democrats cannot claim they support the Department of Homeland Security when they stand in the way and block funding DHS. I would note some of them say might say ‘well gosh, we don’t like some of the specific provisions in the House bill.’ As you all know we have a new Senate where amendments are finally allowed on the floor, if they don’t like provisions on the House bill, introduce an amendment and lets vote on the amendment. And I would note that seven Senate Democrats around election time told the voters they opposed President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty.
“I would suggest to each of you in the fourth estate another question that would be entirely appropriate to ask them—‘were you telling the truth or were you lying when you said you opposed the President’s unconstitutional executive amnesty?’ Because if you were telling the truth, why then are you filibustering DHS funding, why are you blocking consideration of legislation to do what you said you agreed with. They cannot have it both ways, on election day, seven Senate Democrats say they oppose executive amnesty, then it’s incumbent on all of us to give them the opportunity to stand up and demonstrate they were telling the truth, we need to fund DHS and we need to stop President Obama’s illegal and unconstitutional executive amnesty.”
###
