[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 21 (Monday, February 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING

  Mr. NELSON. Madam President, the clock is ticking at the Department 
of Homeland Security, and we are about to run out of money. We will run 
out of money at the end of this month. If we get into a situation where 
the Department that is tasked with the protection of national security 
here at home does not have the funding to protect our borders, to 
protect the central location that directs our defense against cyber 
attacks, to protect us as we get on airplanes through TSA, and to 
patrol the waters of the coastal United States through our Coast 
Guard--if we don't have the money appropriated, then that, to this 
Senator, is inexcusable.
  This is all over a dispute about immigration because some people want 
to have it their way and only their way, and therefore, they cannot 
stand that the President has the legal authority to issue an Executive 
order. That is not the way to protect ourselves against all of these 
adversaries.
  When I came to Washington as a young Congressman many moons ago, it 
was very clearly understood that partisan politics stopped at the 
water's edge. When it came to matters of national security, there were 
no partisan politics. When it came to matters of foreign policy, there 
were no partisan politics. Oh my, how times have changed. Now, with the 
injection of ideological politics, it is time for us to move on.

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