Madam President. I will just make a brief comment in response to the points that were raised earlier here. No one is suggesting today that aliens. much less illegal aliens. should be permitted to vote. But children are not permitted to vote either and they are included in the apportionment base. We in the Congress represent everyone in our State or district and it is wrong to say that undocumented aliens are not "persons" under the Constitution. It is rather surprising to hear those who claim the title of strict constructionist to strain and to torture the meaning of the word "person" in the Constitution to exclude illegal aliens. "Persons" means "persons" and that is the plain meaning of the Constitution. Finally. Madam President. as the Senator from Texas has pointed out. this legislation is going to take a good deal of time before the House of Representatives addresses it and then also until we work out final action in conference. I think the last Immigration Act. the 1986 act. was perhaps the last item that was considered in the 99th Congress. I hope that will not be the fate of this legislation. But clearly this is going to be one that is going to take a good deal of time.
Keywords matched
undocumented Immigration illegal aliens