Thune Previews Senate Work Period, Honors Law Enforcement During Police Week

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Thune's remarks below (as delivered):

"Mr. President, we have a lot to do over the next two weeks.

"Confirm Kevin Warsh to the Federal Reserve.

"Approve a nominations package.

"And fund law enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security.

"That last item, Mr. President, should not need to be on our agenda.

"We should have been able to fund border security and immigration enforcement officers as part of the final Homeland Security funding agreement.

"But my Democrat colleagues refused.

"In fact, the Democrat leader said today that Democrats will fight legislation to fund law enforcement at DHS with 'every tool we have.'

"Mr. President, it's difficult to believe that we're here again.

"We all remember the 'Defund the Police' movement embraced by the left and members of the Democrat Party.

"We also remember how cities who moved to defund the police backtracked in pretty short order.

"Because it turns out, Mr. President - as even some leftists came to realize - we need police officers.

"We need law enforcement.

"We live in a fallen world, and there are always going to be people out there who seek to hurt and exploit the innocent.

"And we need men and women who will stand between the innocent and danger.

"We need men and women who courageously dedicate their lives to law enforcement.

"And all of this should go without saying, Mr. President.

"I can scarcely think of anything more obvious.

"But apparently the need for law enforcement is not obvious to my Democrat colleagues.

"Because they're right back to a defund the police position.

"This time, it's defunding law enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security - specifically Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement: the men and women who patrol our borders and take dangerous criminal illegal immigrants off of our streets.

"And when I say defunding law enforcement at DHS, I don't mean reducing the budget.

"I mean complete and total defunding.

"My Democrat colleagues refused to provide a single dollar for the men and women who protect our borders.

"They refused to provide a single dollar for the men and women who take dangerous criminal illegal aliens off of our streets.

"And I want you to think about that for just a minute, Mr. President.

"My Democrat colleagues apparently believe that there should be no physical presence at our borders and no law enforcement officers to deport dangerous criminals who have entered our country illegally.

"Mr. President, we had four years of chaos at the southern border under President Biden.

"But at least we had the Border Patrol, overstretched as it was.

"Now Democrats apparently believe in removing all law enforcement officers from our nation's borders.

"Mr. President, I shouldn't need to state the obvious here - that we need border security and immigration enforcement officers to protect our nation, just as we need police officers and FBI agents and Secret Service agents and all of the law enforcement officers who serve our communities.

"Democrats might like to pretend otherwise, but there are dangerous individuals who would like to make their way illegally across our border.

"Drug traffickers. Human traffickers. Other criminals. Terrorists.

"And the men and women of the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are the men and women who stand between us and these dangerous individuals - who turn them back at our borders and take them out of our communities if they do manage to make their way into our country.

"These are the men and women that my Democrat colleagues want to defund.

"Not reform, Mr. President.

"No, my Democrat colleagues repeatedly rejected reforms.

"They want to defund.

"And defund completely.

"Zero - zero - agents at our border.

"Zero agents to deport criminals here in the U.S. illegally.

"That's what my Democrat colleagues opted for.

"It's Police Week this week, Mr. President.

"A week to honor our nation's law enforcement officers and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our communities.

"Perhaps - perhaps - it will remind my Democrat colleagues of just how much we rely on law enforcement, and just how much we need all - all - of our nation's law enforcement officers."

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