Floor Statements

Mr. President, in reserving the right to object, this is another reckless political stunt designed to distract Americans from Democrats' dangerous plan to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. Now, that is a move that is, No. 1, going to delay the Federal Emergency Management Agency preparedness the country needs right now. No. 2, it is going to disrupt air travel. No. 3, it is going to degrade the Coast Guard's ability to interdict deadly drugs. No. 4, it is going to make us more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Therefore, Mr. President, I object.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell) and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call in relation to the Benton nomination.

Mr. President, yesterday I was in the Oval Office with the President of the United States, and President Trump signed into law five appropriations bills. And as a result, 96 percent of the Federal Government is funded through the end of the fiscal year. That is good news for the American people.

We accomplished all of this through the normal legislative process--a bill going through the House, through the Senate, and then to the White House. This is how Congress is supposed to work. The Appropriations Committee, led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, made it happen here in the Senate. This is a welcome change from how things were done in the past during the Democrat administration.

Today, Republicans work to continue to fully fund the last 4 percent of government, and that is the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security is charged with one of the Federal Government's most basic duties, and that is to keep Americans safe. The Department of Homeland Security enforces our Nation's immigration laws; it oversees TSA agents; it directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency; it commands the U.S. Coast Guard; and it protects our Nation from cyber attacks.

Republicans are ready to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. We are ready to do it through the end of the fiscal year. And we have been ready to do it for weeks. Democrats are holding the funding hostage. Democrats have an unreasonable and growing list of demands. Democrats' demands would undermine law enforcement, and Democrats' demands would make our Nation less safe.

One of the Democrats' most dangerous demands is for local police to ignore Federal immigration law. Democrats in Congress and Democrats who run big cities do not want the law enforced. They have proven it by their words and by their actions.

For years, the Democrats have been the party of ``defund the police.'' Democrats have now taken it a step further. Now, they are the party of defund American security. The debate is about much more than Federal funding. It is about whether Federal law is enforced or ignored. It is about whether our communities are safe or not. Seventy- eight percent of Americans want to deport illegal immigrant criminals. Americans support more cooperation between local and Federal officials. This applies specifically to deporting illegal immigrant criminals.

Americans also say that local jails should transfer criminal illegal immigrants to Federal officials. Let me point out that in today's Washington Post--and I have a copy of it right here, of their editorial page--the Washington Post this morning, February 4, 2026:

Congress has its work cut out on DHS funding.

They start a paragraph that says:

Something else Schumer says he wants is an end to roving

patrols.

Senator Schumer just spoke here on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The editorial said Democrat-run cities should ``hand over dangerous illegal immigrants in their jails'' instead of ``hiding behind sanctuary policies.''

The Washington Post this morning is advising the Democrats and, specifically, Senator Schumer by name that we need more cooperation, not less, which is what we are getting from Democrat-run cities in big Democrat bastions and promoted by each and every one of the Democrats on the floor of the U.S. Senate. We need more cooperation.

We have gotten to this place because of the law, specifically the Laken Riley law, which, Mr. President, you were one of the cosponsors and advocates and worked so hard on. Because of that law--the law that Senator Katie Britt wrote, you worked with, we got passed, signed into law--DHS has detained an additional 20,000 illegal immigrants who otherwise would have been released back onto the streets of our communities.

Clearly, when local officials cooperate with Federal officers, the American people are safer. By contrast, Senate Democrats--and we are going to hear it again today--want to enact sanctuary city policies on a national level. People in my home State and yours hate the idea of sanctuary cities. American cities--already, over a dozen Democrat-

run States embrace these sanctuary city policies.

Let me tell you what the liberal Governor of New York now wants to do. She wants to make cooperating and coordinating with ICE illegal for the State of New York. We have seen who got elected mayor of New York City. Now, the Governor is following right behind him.

And in Minnesota, the liberal Governor, the liberal mayor of Minneapolis, and the liberal attorney general openly encourage citizens to obstruct Federal law. That is what they are doing in liberal bastions around the country. If Democrats have their way, every city in America would be a sanctuary city and every city in America would be less safe.

Here is why sanctuary cities are so dangerous: They are dangerous for the public, and they are dangerous for law enforcement. In sanctuary cities, local officials refuse to transfer illegal immigrants, even those convicted of crimes, to Federal law enforcement. These convicted criminals are often released from custody back onto the streets in our communities. That means Federal agents are forced to try to find these convicted criminals in the community, on the streets, instead of being able to secure and pick them up in the jails. It seems a lot safer way to do it for me.

Look at what is happening in New York City. Since last year, New York has released 7,000 illegal immigrant criminals instead of cooperating with Federal officials. Last month, New York knowingly released a convicted sex offender. They did this instead of transferring him into Federal custody, which is where he belongs. That is a criminal who has already been deported before and got back into the country.

Remember Joe Biden, 10,000 a day coming into the country--criminals, drug dealers, illegal immigrants who were part of criminal cartels--we had it all. Well, Federal officials were prepared to arrest him in New York. No, the local Democrats released him, let him blend in. Go away.

That is what sanctuary city policies do. They put criminals back on the streets in our cities and make our cities less safe. Not a single American is safer because of the sanctuary city policies that the Democrats are promoting. When liberal cities provide sanctuary for criminals, they deny the safety of law-abiding citizens.

If immigration laws are ignored nationwide, almost everyone who enters the United States illegally would remain here for the rest of their lives, free to do whatever they wanted, commit crimes, and not have to worry about ever being deported. Preventing cooperation between State and Federal officials would make the chaos of Joe Biden's wide- open borders permanent. The American people don't want that.

Let me tell you how this applies to the debate over the funding bill today for the Department of Homeland Security. The Democrats' list of demands is a liberal wish list. Republicans are not going to accept changes that make our communities less safe. Personally, I want to end sanctuary cities and sanctuary city policies completely and so do many of my Republican colleagues.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has introduced legislation to stop State and local officials from interfering with Federal immigration enforcement. It is a simple, commonsense concept: law enforcement officers should help law enforcement officers keep our communities safe.

The safest cities in America are those that cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There is a clear cause-and-effect relationship. Congress should encourage more cooperation, do it nationwide, not less, which is what the Democrats want.

Republicans welcome this debate about immigration enforcement. Republicans are for cooperation. Democrats--they are the party of chaos. Republicans are for enforcing the law. Democrats are for sanctuary cities and once again side with illegal immigrants while Republicans stand on the side of making America more safe.

I yield the floor.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Lea nomination at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow; further, that the cloture motion filed during Tuesday's session of the Senate ripen following disposition of the Lea nomination; further, if cloture is invoked on the Olson nomination, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow; finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session of the Senate, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Ganjei nomination.

Mr. President, we are at a point where America faces a critical choice about our Nation's security, and the debate isn't complicated.

Republicans are fighting to keep Americans safe. To do that, we need to enforce the law. We need to keep our borders secure.

The Democrats--and we just heard from the minority leader--they are fighting to weaken law enforcement. They want to reward illegal immigrants for their illegal behavior.

Right now, criminals who are here in this country illegally are among the most dangerous threats to the families of this country. They are violent offenders, murders, rapists, drug dealers, child traffickers. They are the worst of the worst.

Many entered our country when Joe Biden and the Democrats threw open the borders 5 years ago. Over 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into the country during those 4 years of the Biden Presidency. During the 2024 election, the American people spoke very clearly. Americans voted for more border security, not less. Americans wanted more law enforcement, not less--and, yes, people spoke for deporting illegal immigrants, for not allowing them to stay. Republicans understand that safe communities are a result of secure borders.

Today, Democrats continue to choose illegal immigrants over American citizens--right here, on the floor of the Senate, this morning. Democrats are the party of defund the police. They have been for a long, long time. Now they want to defund our security even further--our security, our borders. You have seen them protesting: Eliminate ICE. Eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They don't want the law enforced.

Republicans refuse to allow this dangerous agenda of the Democrats' to succeed. Since retaking the majority, Republicans have made public safety a top priority. Republicans secured the border in record time. Illegal border crossings at the southern border are now at their lowest level in 50 years.

Republicans passed the Laken Riley Act. It was the first law that we passed this past year, and it was the first bill signed into law by President Trump. The Laken Riley Act simply says that illegal immigrant criminals must be detained. Republicans then passed the Working Families Tax Cuts. That law invested over $170 billion to secure the border and safeguard our communities.

Republicans secured the largest investment in history in border security and law enforcement. That is what we promised to do, and we did. That investment includes $46 billion to finish the wall and $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is going to help train, hire, and retain more agents. It includes a bonus for those agents who continue to serve so that they remain on the job.

Republicans also ended catch-and-release. For eight consecutive months now, zero--zero--illegal immigrants have been released into the country. None. Republicans strengthened enforcement in our country. More than 400,000 illegal immigrants who have been charged with or convicted of a crime have been arrested and removed from the country-- 400,000.

The lesson is clear: When we enforce the law and when we support law enforcement, Americans are safer.

So what have the Democrats done?

Well, they continue to put illegal immigrants ahead of law-abiding American citizens.

Last week, the Senate--right here in this body--voted to complete funding for 96 percent of the Federal Government. The Democrats blocked the final 4 percent. They weren't for that. As for the bipartisan Homeland Security appropriations bill--a bill that Democrats helped to write--the Democrats then blocked it. The Homeland Security appropriations bill funds TSA

agents for people who are going through the airports. It funds FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, at a time when there is great need related to the storms that we are trying to recover from. It funds the Coast Guard. These are critical functions that keep Americans safe. Democrats blocked it.

Democrats are willing to shut them all down--FEMA, emergency relief. Why? Because of the Democrats' war against law enforcement, against the Department of Homeland Security. They are the people who want to defund the police. That is who the Democrats are.

And as we are here working to keep the government open, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont--a Member of the Democrat coalition--came to the floor last week, with a targeted amendment, as we have been fighting on these appropriations bills. The Sanders amendment targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats wanted to defund ICE to the tune of $75 billion. They wanted to redirect the money that was headed to an area where there has been great fraud. Every single Democrat--every single one of them--voted yes for the Bernie Sanders amendment to defund ICE. That is how radical the Democrats have become. They are the party of wide-open borders.

Now, Republicans, rightly, are the majority--were elected to the majority--because people were fed up with the open border Democrats. Republicans rightly defeated that amendment, but the Sanders amendment exposes Democrats' open borders goals. When given the choice between protecting Americans and defending law enforcement, the Democrats side, time and time again, with illegal immigrants--every single time.

We are trying to keep Americans safe. They are trying to protect illegal immigrants. It is that clearly defined. You have seen it on the signs as they protest in the streets: Abolish ICE. Republicans believe government must protect law-abiding citizens from criminals, not protect the criminals. The Democrats are, once again, choosing illegal immigrants ahead of law-abiding citizens. The events of the past few weeks are serious--they are tragic--but the tragedies are no excuse to defund law enforcement.

If Democrats want to have a debate about Americans' safety, we welcome it. I am going to stand on the side of the American people. Democrats want to stand on the side of the illegal immigrants. Republicans are going to continue to stand with the men and women who keep us safe as Democrats try to defund the police and defund border security.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.