Speech #1040267303

That is exactly right. and if this bill had only those provisions. it would not be controversial. He has conceded the point. There is a core of agreement on measures to restrict illegal immigration that would not be controversial. But here is what happens. and people should understand people sometimes think the party does not mean anything. Yes. party control means something. The Republicans are in control of this Congress. That means their ideological agenda and the interest groups that they are most interested in get served. What that means is that we do not get a chance to vote just on the bill dealing with illegal immigration. It comes with illegal immigration and an unbreakable format. a conference I have never seen before. where the chairman just decided no amendments would be allowed because he is afraid to have his members vote on these things. Other provisions are there. Well. what are the other provisions? One provision reaches back to antidiscrimination language. It has nothing to do with illegal immigration. We have said that we feared. when we put employer sanctions into the law. that this would lead to discrimination against people born in America who were of Mexican heritage. The GAO said. "Youre right. its happened." What they have done in this bill is to reach back to that section not otherwise before us and made it much harder for us to protect those people against discrimination. Then we will have a recommit to undo that. My colleagues could vote for the recommit and it will not effect their commitment on illegal immigration. With regard to the people with AIDS. that is a provision that was in neither bill. The gentleman from Texas who does not want to defend things on the merits says. "Well. the majority is with me." Well. that was not in the House bill. and it was not in the Senate bill.