Speech #1040196553

It is a case of. in some ways. new players on an old field of battle. During my 17 years in the Senate. I have literally spent weeks on the floor of this historic Chamber debating immigration reform legislation. Whether it was legislation to provide legalization for longterm illegals or to prohibit the knowing employment of undocumented workers. legislation I sponsored and which this body debated in the mideighties. or whether it was legislation Senator KENNEDY and I sponsored to increase immigration by nearly 40 percent in 1990. it has always been a terribly difficult issue for all the Members of this body. We know that no matter how we vote on immigration issues. we are going to assuredly upset and create anguish among segments of our constituencies. But immigration policy is a critically important national issue. and Congress must deal with it. It is not for the States to deal with. Immigration accounts for 40 percent. or more. of our population growth. which pleases some and distresses others. Immigrants come here and work hard and they work cheap. which pleases some and distresses others. Immigrants bring cultural diversity. which pleases some and distresses others. And that is the nature of the immigration policy debate. Powerful. powerful forces tear at the country. There are some members of our society who believe immigration is an unalloyed good. They consider it maybe something like good luck. you simply cannot have too much. Other segments of the population believe that immigration should be severely restricted. if not eliminated altogether. They see America changing in ways that they particularlyto themdo not wish to see. I deeply believe that immigration is good. it is good for America. but I firmly believe that this is not an eternally inevitable result. It depends upon those of us in the Congress and In the other branches of Government to make it work. Immigration policy must be designed and administered to promote the national interest or it may not have that effect. So Congress created the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform in the 1990 act. The Commission was chaired by that remarkable woman. Barbara Jordan. a powerfully articulate and splendid woman of such great good common sense and civility and intelligence. That Commission is composed of a truly impressive group of immigration experts. Lawrence Fuchs. who was the executive director of the Select Commission on Immigration when I started in this field. along with Senator KENNEDY. Senator Mathias. Senator DeConcini on that select commission.