Speech #960129018

All of the Commissioners welcomed his willingness to serve as Chairman. Mr. President. one of the principal agenda items at this weeks meeting of the Select Commission was the scheduling of a series of regional hearings to solicit the views and expertise of Americans around the country concerned over immigration reform. As I noted last year. when I expedited consideration on the Senate floor of the bill that established the Select Commission. I strongly believed that for the Select Commission to do its job. "It must look as widely and as deeply as possible into the many different views that exist over immigration reform." In my Senate statement last year. I also stressed that the review the Select Commission undertakes of our Nations immigration laws and policies "must involve a broad spectrum of opinion and groups concerned with immigration reform." It is precisely to fulfill this goal that the regional hearings were set by the Commission this week. So. for the benefit of my colleaguesand for the information of the public generallyI wish to review here the schedule and timing of the regional hearings. as well as a brief statement on the goals and plans of the Select Commission generally. I ask that they be printed in the RECORD.