Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, our country does many things well, but our government in Washington often fails the people whom it exists to protect. One of the best examples is the Obama administration's failure to enforce our Nation's immigration laws, despite the American people's continued demands that the Federal Government follow its duty to do so.

It is worth noting that just yesterday the voters of San Francisco voted to replace the sheriff who had defended the sanctuary city policy. That is a striking statement of where the American people are on this issue.

Unfortunately, the Democrats in the Nation's Capitol refuse to listen to the American people. Just 2 weeks ago, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would have imposed a 5-year minimum mandatory sentence on criminal aliens who have illegally reentered the country. This issue is too important to give up and this fight is far from over. That is why I intend to call up Kate's Law for its urgent and immediate passage in the Senate. This bill is named in honor of Kate Steinle, who died tragically in the arms of her father on a San Francisco pier after being fatally shot by an illegal alien who had been deported from the United States multiple times.

When it comes to stopping sanctuary cities and protecting our safety, we need governing, we need leadership, and we need elected officials in Washington to listen to the people we are elected to represent. We need to actually fix the problem. Enough hot air, let's demonstrate we can come together and solve this problem. This ought to be a clear choice. With whom do you stand? Do you stand with violent criminal illegal aliens or do you stand with American citizens? Do you stand with our sons and daughters and those at risk of violent crime? I hope my colleagues in the Senate will come together and stand in bipartisan support that we stand with the American people.

I will note that Bill O'Reilly has been tremendous, calling over and over again on leaders of this body simply to pass Kate's Law. This is not a partisan issue, at least it should not be. We should stand with American citizens. I am reminded of the heartbreaking words of Kate Steinle as she lay in her father's arms. She simply said: ``Dad, help me.'' Well, we have an opportunity to determine if we are willing to listen to her dying words, if we are willing to stand with her. I would note, by the way, this should not be a red State-blue State issue.

For the people of San Francisco to throw out of office the sheriff responsible for the policies that led directly to Kate Steinle's murder indicates that even in the bluest of blue cities and the bluest of blue States, the American people are tired of politicians standing with violent criminal illegal aliens. This should bring us together. We should stand together and say we will protect the American citizens.

I will tell you, the Obama administration's record on this is shocking. In 2013, the Obama administration released from detention roughly 36,000 convicted criminal aliens who were awaiting the outcomes of deportation proceedings. These criminal aliens were responsible for 193 homicide convictions. They were responsible for 426 sexual assault convictions. They were responsible for 303 kidnapping convictions. They were responsible for 1,075 aggravated assault convictions. They were responsible for 16,070 drunk driving convictions.

On top of that, the Obama administration had another 68,000 illegal immigrants with criminal convictions whom the Federal Government encountered but never even bothered to take into custody for deportation. That is over 104,000 criminal illegal aliens the Obama administration is responsible for releasing to the public.

I ask my friends on the Democratic side of the aisle how you look in the eyes of a father or mother who has lost their loved one because of a violent criminal illegal alien, who has murdered, who has raped, who has assaulted, who has kidnapped, who has brutalized your child? We are responsible for the consequences of our actions. Kate's Law is commonsense legislation. It is legislation that says: If a criminal illegal alien who is an aggravated felon--who is the worst of the worst--illegally reenters this country, comes in a second time, that criminal illegal alien will face a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison.

If Kate's Law had been passed 5 years ago, Kate Steinle would still be alive. That means every Democrat who stands up and blocks Kate's Law needs to be prepared to explain why standing with violent criminal illegal aliens is more important than protecting American citizens.

I am proud to have joining me as cosponsors of Kate's Law Senator Grassley, Senator Vitter, Senator Rubio, and Senator Perdue. They are all coming together in what should be bipartisan leadership to protect the American citizens.

Mr. President, accordingly, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2193; further, that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

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Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, you know I will tell you it is sad that the Democratic leader chooses to stand with violent criminal illegal aliens instead of American citizens, but even sadder is that he impugns legal immigrants. When the Democratic leader suggests that incarcerating aggravated felons, murderers, and rapists who illegally enter the country is somehow a slight to immigrants--I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba. There is no one in this Chamber who will stand and fight harder for legal immigrants than I will. For the Democratic leader to cynically suggest that somehow immigrants should be lumped into the same bucket as murderers and rapists, it demonstrates the cynicism of the modern Democratic Party, it demonstrates just how out of touch the modern Democratic Party is.

You know who does not agree with the Democratic leader? The voters of San Francisco--I would venture to say almost all of whom consider themselves Democrats. Yet they just voted out the sheriff for saying basically the same thing the Democratic leader did, for saying that the Democratic Party stands with violent felon illegal immigrants instead of the American citizens.

Let's listen to what the Democratic leader just said: Gosh, it would cost too much to incarcerate aggravated felons who illegally reenter the country. If it costs too much to lock up murderers, rapists, kidnappers, then you know what, we need to spend the money it needs to lock up every single murderer we can. I am sorry the Democratic Party does not want to spend the money to lock up murderers, and instead apparently it is cheaper to lose our sons and daughters. I think we have the resources to lock up murderers. There should be no confusion where the parties stand.

The Democratic leader suggested that locking up aggravated felons is somehow disrespectful to immigrants. With all respect, as the son of an immigrant, I believe immigrants who come here legally, who are not criminals, should be treated markedly different from murderers and rapists. Yet the Democratic Party chooses to stand with the murderers, rapists, and violent criminals. That is unfortunate, indeed.

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