[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                             RECONCILIATION

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the Democrat Party has gone off the rails.
  It is no secret that the Democrat Party has drifted sharply leftward 
in recent years and that it has become increasingly divorced from the 
concerns of ordinary Americans.
  ``Many Americans Say the [Democrat] Party Does Not Share Their 
Priorities''--that was a headline noted last year from the New York 
Times. But it is remarkable just how extreme Democrats have become.
  Everyone remembers the Democrat Party's flirtation with ``defund the 
police'' a few years ago. But when it rapidly became apparent that we 
actually need the police, Democrats seemed to rein things in. But no 
more. In today's Democrat Party, ``defund the police'' is back and more 
strongly than ever.
  The reason we are here today, I would say the sole--sole--reason we 
are here today is because we are considering this reconciliation bill 
because Democrats refuse to fund law enforcement at the Department of 
Homeland Security. They refuse to fund Border Patrol, and they refuse 
to fund Immigrations and Customs Enforcement--at all. They wouldn't 
agree to provide a single dollar for either of these Agencies--not a 
single dollar for a physical presence at our border, not a single 
dollar to take criminal illegal aliens off of our streets.
  Really think about that for a minute. Is there any country in the 
world that doesn't have officers to protect its borders? Well, if 
Democrats had their way, that would now be the United States of 
America.
  The public record provides ample evidence of the fact that among 
those who try to make their way illegally across the border, there are 
bad actors whose presence in this country would endanger Americans. 
Democrats don't want there to be a single individual at the border to 
stop those individuals from entering our country, and they don't want 
there to be a single individual to enforce immigration law in this 
country.
  The various women who were murdered by illegal immigrants who entered 
the country under the open borders Biden administration--what about 
them? Well, Democrats apparently don't think that even one of those 
individuals should have been deported.
  If what I am saying sounds extreme, let me confirm: It is. But it is 
also an accurate description of the Democrats' position.
  If this were about making reforms to the way ICE or Border Patrol 
does business, then Democrats would have accepted the robust package of 
legislative reforms they were offered by the White House or engaged in 
serious negotiations to tweak the package, but they didn't. They put up 
a good show for a little while. But it rapidly became clear that 
Democrats were not interested in actually reaching any kind of 
agreement, and eventually they just walked away presumably because they 
felt that it was more valuable for them to have a political issue than 
to actually agree to any reforms.
  Of course, I am not sure what political constituency they were 
appealing to because I don't think mainstream Americans believe in, for 
example, completely defunding our Nation's Border Patrol. But then 
again, I am not too sure the Democrat Party really understands or 
thinks about mainstream Americans. They are in the pockets of the far 
left, and so they embrace positions guaranteed to appeal to the far 
left, no matter--no matter--how out of step those positions are with 
those of mainstream Americans.
  In recent days, perhaps realizing just how extreme ``defund the 
police'' could seem to mainstream American, the Democrat leader has 
attempted to obfuscate what is happening here by suggesting that 
Republicans' consideration of this bill somehow means that Republicans 
are not concerned with the challenges facing ordinary Americans. To 
which I say: Give me a break.
  This from the same Democrat leader who oversaw passage of legislation 
that plunged our country into an inflation crisis. From legislation to 
drive down the cost of prescription drugs at the pharmacy counter to 
our signature Working Families Tax Cut, which permanently cut American 
taxes and put more money in workers' pockets, Republicans have been 
focused--focused like a laser--on making life easier for hard-working 
Americans.
  But, remarkably, it is possible to walk and chew gum at the same 
time. And we can protect Americans by protecting our borders and 
continue to pass legislation that will alleviate some of the pressures 
facing hard-working Americans. We not only can do both; we have a 
responsibility to do both. Republicans are going to fulfill that 
responsibility.
  As long as we are in charge, there will be agents at our borders to 
prevent terrorists, traffickers, and other dangerous individuals from 
making their way into our country, and there will be agents to take 
criminal illegal immigrants off of America's streets. Our Nation's 
security demands nothing less.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The President pro tempore.

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