Administration from moving ahead with actions president obama himself referred to as quote ignoring the law. Ignoring the law quote unquote president obama said that just over a year ago. The point is its time to allow this Homeland Security funding measure to come to the floor. Democrats say they want the ability to amend d. H. S. Funding legislation but then they keep voting to block their own ability to offer amendments. It just doesnt make any sense madam president. So in a few moments well give our democratic friends another opportunity to reconsider. They can vote to allow the senate to debate the Homeland Security funding bill. They can vote to allow the senate to consider amendments from both sides and thats what they actually should do. Thats what constituents have a right to expect. Lets take this funding bill up and get to work. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Reid in just a few days, five to be exact the department of Homeland Security will be out of money. This unique entity was established right after 9 11. President bush believed that there were too many agencies trying to take care of the security of this nation, and he got congress to work with him and bring in these 22 different entities to the department of Homeland Security. Thats what has protected our Homeland Security since 9 11, and its done a good job. Im very disappointed, madam president , at the political ploy used by my Congressional Republican leadership to force a shutdown of Homeland Security will only hurt our nation. But it does make very clear where republicans stand on fixing a broken immigration system. 20 months ago some valiant senators democrats and republicans, worked together for almost a year. Democrats were led by senator schumer, durbin, bennet and menendez. Republicans were led by mccain graham, rubio and flake, and they worked night and day. They came up with a bill they presented to us, democrats and republicans, and we worked hard. We had lots of amendments. It was a wonderful debate. It was one of the great days of this body, and we passed it. Bipartisan. It was such a good day for the United States senate and our country. But now after 20 months, suddenly people arent interested. Even flake graham, mccain have stated that we should fund Homeland Security, fund it. We have all kinds of republican senators who have said the same thing the last few days. Senator johnson said it should be fully funded. He said that today. I dont understand what my republican friends are trying to do here. They want to hold up d. H. S. Funding in order to deport dreamers and their parents. That doesnt make any sense. Their plan is destined to fail. Ive said that many times right here. Republicans arent listening to me and i understand why but my republican colleagues arent listening to a lot of people. They arent listening to the president of the United States who has warned them that blocking Homeland Security funding will hurt our ability to respond to these new threats. Secretary of Homeland Security. Tom ridge and i came to washing at the same time in 1982 to the house of representatives. Here is a man who was valiant in vietnam, highly decorated soldier. Hes had a stunning career in government. He has been governor of the state of pennsylvania. He has been secretary of Homeland Security. He along with another republican secretary of Homeland Security, share to have, chirtoff, who has a great record of his own being a prosecutor, federal judge, along with a democrat, janet napolitano, former governor of the state of arizona and secretary of Homeland Security. So two republicans former secretaries of Homeland Security and a democrat have said republicans should do this. In fact, heres what heres what they said in a letter that senator mcconnell and i got a month ago and i quote funding for d. H. S. Is used to protect our ports and our borders to secure our air travel and cargo to protect the federal government, our nations Information Technology and infrastructure from cybersecurity threats to fund essential Law Enforcement activities and to ensure the safety of the president and national leaders. Funding for the entire agency should not be put in jeopardy by the debate about immigration. Thats what these former secretaries of Homeland Security. They didnt mince words. They said thats true. In fact, tom ridge said yesterday on national tv, i quote what the republican plan does irritates the hell out of me. I think its bad policy. The men and women of Homeland Security deserve better. So madam president , jey johnson, who has certainly been as about as down the middle as anyone could be on this issue, said to not fund Homeland Security is unacceptable from Public Safety and a National Security view. The majority leader and secretary im sorry. The majority leader and Speaker Boehner arent listening. They are obviously not listening to me. Theyre not listening to the president. Theyre not listening to former homeland secretaries. Theyre not even listening to their newspaper. Its been referred to their newspaper, the wall street journal. Heres what the wall street journal said the republicans game of russian roulette with our Homeland Security is destined for a spectacular crackup. That is a direct quote. But, madam president the republicans obviously arent listening to the wall street journal. The fraternal order of police has lambasted the republican scheme. Republicans arent listening to the police. The United States conference of mayors said please dont do that. If you do not fund the department of Homeland Security and you try to even if you go with a continuing resolution, it is going to affect our ability to protect our cities. The governors have said the same thing. Republicans arent listening to anyone. Theyre bound and determined to see this doomed plan to the end. All this because republicans want to overturn d. H. S. Directly to prioritize the deportation of National Security threats convicted felons and individuals apprehended at the border. It doesnt make sense. Now, right now the administration sought a stay of the proceedings in texas but madam president , the trial judge there in texas never ever declared anything unconstitutional. You read every word he wrote there isnt the word unconstitutional in anything. Nothing. He said the administrative procedure act was not followed. The president has the right to determine who is to be deported, and the families of these dreamers are way down the list. So the president is well within his established Constitutional Authority and Legal Process to hear this out. So why would we divert resources from real threats just so republicans can deport dreamers, longterm permanent residents mothers and fathers of u. S. Citizens and children who pose no Security Risk . Republicans say they are attacking the president s actions, but they are really attacking families. So i suggest my republican colleagues if they wont listen to me, the president the secretary of Homeland Security, the wall street journal, the fraternal order of police, the United States conference of mayors maybe they should at least heed what our enemies are saying. We could all picture in our own mind what happened just a few weeks ago. They put a jordanian pilot in a cage and burned him and they showed the world that for 22 minutes. We have seen the beheadings. They havent stopped. 21 egyptian christians were beheaded just a few days ago. And yesterday secretary johnson on national tv said we must remain vigilant against threats because now they have told us theyre going to go to malls around america including the mall of america. We must listen. We must listen. In this environment my republican friends why would you want to shut off funding for Homeland Security . Listen to reason. Lets fully fund Homeland Security and do it now. Republican senators are saying the same thing. I dont understand whats going on here. Republicans reportedly have a backup plan, funding Homeland Security by passing shortterm continuing resolutions. This is not an answer, mr. President madam president. Its not an answer. A continuing resolution will prevent the department of Homeland Security from working with communities states, their First Responders and addressing new threats and emergency situations. Our nation is depending on the department of Homeland Security and fully funding it is what is needed to keep us safe. More than 230,000 Homeland Security employees are depending on a paycheck for their families. There is a simple way of doing this. Fully funding the department of Homeland Security, not some Rube Goldberg procedure that they are making something very simple very complicated. It doesnt need to be complicated. We simply need to give the department of Homeland Security the resource it needs to do a job as said by republican senators this past week. Why are we doing this . Is it to please the House Republicans who capital agree on anything . Madam president , it is important that we fully fund this agency and do it now. Would the chair now announce the business of the day . I am told the motion to proceed is now pending. Is that true . The presiding officer the senator is correct. A senator madam president. The presiding officer the senator from pennsylvania. Mr. Casey madam president i rise to speak as if in morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Casey thank you madam president. Madam president , as i have since every every year since 2007, i rise today to commemorate black history month. This year, were privileged to recognize dean joanne a. Epps, the dean of the Temple University school of law. Dean epps is a woman who has made significant contributions to the commonwealth of pennsylvania and the nation by promoting opportunity and diversity throughout our legal institutions. Joannes life and career have been a testament to hard work and following your dreams. Her achievements are substantial and she has worked to inspire others to fulfill their dreams while advancing the cause of social justice to ensure that everyone everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Today, im proud to honor joanne epps as a leader in law and in education and highlight some of the ways in which she has demonstrated the power of dreams by Opening Doors of opportunities for women and minorities throughout her career. Joanne epps story serves as an example of where our dreams can take us. She is a native of cheltenham, pennsylvania for those who dont know the geography of our state, the southeastern corner of our state, montgomery county. She attended Trinity College in connecticut. As an undergraduate joanne planned to follow in her mothers footsteps and become a legal secretary. However, she distinguished herself throughout her undergraduate career, and her mother and professors encouraged her to dream big. She applied to and was accepted by Yale Law School where she was one of 40 women and just ten africanamericans in her class of 150. Joanne entered law school having never known an adult attorney, often experiencing discomfort that her background differed so significantly from that those of many of her classmates. Despite these challenges, joanne epps remained focused on the opportunities ahead of her. Following graduation in 1976, joanne devoted herself to public service, becoming a deputy City Attorney for the city of los angeles, california. And ultimately returning to pennsylvania as an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of pennsylvania. After that work as a prosecutor, in 1985 she joined the faculty of the Beasley School of law at Temple University, utilizing the experience she had gained as a prosecutor to instruct students on criminal procedure evidence and trial advocacy. Exhibiting strong Leadership Qualities and a gift for teaching jo ann was named associate dean of Academic Affairs and in 2008 was named dean of Temple Law School. As dean, jo ann has worked tirelessly not only to advance the quality of Legal Education but to instill in students the values she believed defined the Legal Profession. They are Service Integrity and passion. Jo ann has expanded opportunities for students at temple to apply those values to a legal career by implementing programs that focus on handson legal experience both through highquality Clinical Programs and through an innovative firstyear course curriculum. This work led to the creation of the steven and Sandra Sheller center for social justice at the law school. The Sheller Center encourages Early Community involvement and commitment to social justice in temple law students by facilitating collaboration with community groups, the University Community and the philadelphia and pennsylvania legal communities to improve access to justice for underserved communities. Its a truly inspiring project. And even as jo ann innovates at the schoolwide level she has also not lost her dedication to the individual connections fostered through teaching. She continues to share her experience and insight with first year law students by teaching a course in litigation basics each fall. Jo ann has employed her talent for teaching not only to the benefit of Temple University and the pennsylvania legal community, but to further social justice objectives on an international scale. Jo ann has been an advocacy instructor for attorneys at the United NationsInternational Criminal tribunal for rue juan did a for rwanda. In 2007 and 2008 she worked with a small group of lawyers to provide training for sudanese lawyers representing victims of the crisis in darfur on evidence advocacy and substantive International Criminal law with a focus on practice before the International Criminal court. Jo anns service and impact on Temple Law School is made all the more impressive in light of the myriad of other roles she has taken on to advance the cause of social justice through legal institutions. In 2001, jo ann was appointed by the mayor of philadelphia to chair the Mayors Task Force on police discipline, and in 2011 was appointed by the United StatesDistrict Court for the Eastern District of pennsylvania to monitor the city of philadelphias compliance with a settlement concerning stop and frisk procedures. She has a long history of service on various commissions designed to increase access to justice, including the Philadelphia BarAssociations Committee to promote justice the board of directors of the Defender Association of philadelphia the Advisory Board of the Public Interest law center and the Pennsylvania Commission for juvenile initiatives and too many others to name today. In recognition of this work, in 2003 Temple Law School presented her with the gideon award given to acknowledge dedication to the cause of justice. Jo ann epps has had a great career and has had Great Success as a lawyer and as a teacher as an advocate, as a prosecutor. Despite the challenges of being an africanamerican woman entering a field that is predominantly white and male, she has consistently worked to open the doors of opportunities to women and minorities who face s