Speech #1040262091

His reason is clear to him and clear to many others. and that is the socalled Gallegly amendment. But I would refresh and remind my colleagues why this legislation received such strong bipartisan support in both Houses. This legislation is to strengthen the border enforcement by nearly doubling the size of the Border Patrol. It will ensure that aliens who commit serious crimes are detained upon their release from prison until they can be deported. and then they will be deported under expedited procedures. It will provide prompt decisions for those who apply for asylum and ensure that those who genuinely fear persecution at home can remain here. It will create an expedited removal process. so that those who seek to enter the United States surreptitiously or with fraudulent documents can be promptly deported and not allowed to stay here for years while pursuing various frivolous appeals at all levels and in all forums. administrative and judicial. It will ensure that the sponsor and not the U.S. taxpayer will be primarily responsible for providing financial support to new immigrants in need. And it will provide for voluntary pilot programs on systems to enable employers and welfare providers more reliably to identify those who are eligible to work or to receive benefits in this country. The most controversial portion of the bill. of course. the one that gave rise to the veto threat and the filibuster plan caper. is the socalled Gallegly amendment. which authorizes the States to decide whether or not to provide a free public education to illegal persons. illegal aliensa proposal which in its present form is presented to the conferees as including some rather extensive changes to that provision. Some say it does not matter what you do to that provision. it is not appropriate. That may assuredly be so. and yet that is called legislating and it is about discussing and amending. So it is now worded so that at least those who are opposed to any form of illegal immigration reform are not now able to say that we are "kicking schoolchildren out into the streets." No one I know is interested in "kicking children out into the streets." I certainly am not. and I have always had some serious problems with regard to aspects of the Gallegly amendment. but if that is what is to be in this conference report in this form. in its amended form. then it is certainly acceptable to me. The proposal contains generous "grandfathering" provisions for those students now in school. They will be permitted to continue their education in the elementary or secondary school in which they are now enrolled at no charge.