Speech #1040201756

Clearly. a point of order is now available against this bill. We could end further discussion. I am reticent to raise that point of order because I believe it is important that we pass an illegal immigration bill that will in fact strengthen our ability to protect the borders of America and to assure that our lawful means by which persons can come to the United States are available and are not dismissed. as they have been so frequently in the recent past. by persons who come here illegally. I also am reluctant to raise this point of order at this time because we still have an opportunity to correct this legislation and to remove those provisions which are imposing these mammoth unfunded mandates on States and local communities. We are in a strange parliamentary process. but I hope that even through this byzantine process we will be able to consider those amendments that will be faithful to our commitments not to impose new unfunded mandates in the manner in which we are doing in this legislation upon our citizens at the State and local level. So. Mr. President. my purpose in these remarks is to raise these two important structural defects in the billa mixture of impacts on legal aliens. and a bill that is labeled "illegal immigration" and the imposition of major unfunded mandates on States and local communities. It is my hope that by raising these issues. it will contribute to reforming this bill in a way that brings a good engineer into the foundation of this legislation. pour some concrete. and strengthen the integrity of this legislation. If that is done. then the unfunded mandate point of order would no longer be available. If that is not done. I want to assure my colleagues that the point of order will be raised because I am committed that we not only strengthen our resolve against illegal immigration but that we also demonstrate our credibility to not impose mammoth unfunded mandates on our State and local governments. I ask unanimous consent that the letter and other material from the National Conference of State Legislatures be printed in the RECORD.