[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12008]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          POISON PILL RIDER ON A BORDER WALL IS JUST SHAMEFUL

  (Mr. RUIZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, our constituents sent us here to discuss our 
differences honestly and openly and come together to pass bipartisan 
legislation addressing our Nation's most pressing issues.
  Every year I have been in Congress, I have voted in favor of 
bipartisan, clean funding bills to give our troops a pay raise and fund 
our military in the VA. I took those votes proudly, working with 
Democrats and Republicans.
  Today, I am outraged Republican leadership played politics with this 
critical funding. To include a poison pill rider that wastes $1.6 
billion in taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall is just 
shameful. We all know this wall will not make us any safer. Even law 
enforcement officials oppose this funding.
  I am very disappointed GOP leaders would link President Trump's 
divisive campaign rhetoric with what should unite all Americans: 
supporting our troops and veterans.
  Because of procedural trickery, debate was not allowed. That would 
have allowed a bipartisan agreement on a clean bill supporting our 
troops and our veterans.
  Shameful.

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