[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SANCTUARY CITIES BILL

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have watched over the years my Republican 
colleagues who are supposedly concerned about States' rights wipe them 
out with a speech like the one we have just heard and the legislation 
before this body today.
  I am told and have always believed, Republicans think States and 
communities should have the ability to do the things they think are 
appropriate. Any one of these States that my friend refers to--any one 
of these communities--has a right at any time to change the law. This 
is not a Federal law they are trying to change; they are trying to 
change what is taking place in cities throughout the country.
  So they are States' rights, my Republican colleague's own words. It 
certainly doesn't belie the actions they have tried to take. The 
Republican leader tries to make the bill before this body a political 
issue. It is a Donald Trump-bashing-immigrants issue.
  This bill is opposed by the National Association of Chiefs of Police, 
it is opposed by the National Council of Mayors, and many different 
organizations that believe in States' rights. My friend, the Republican 
leader, would just make things a lot worse, and that is an 
understatement.
  With the provisions in this bill, it is estimated it would take 15 
new huge prisons just to handle the people who would be arrested--huge 
prisons, costing billions of dollars. It is not smart police policy. It 
is not smart budget policy.

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