Speech #1090119690

President. this debate we are having on this important legislation is critical to our Nation. It is long overdue. I am glad we are finally talking about border security and immigration reform in a comprehensive way. I know. as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. our chairman. Senator SPECTER. and the committee have worked very hard on this legislation. There is a lot of the legislation that I think is very good. For example. the border security component of the bill is very strong. I am proud to say that a good chunk of that came from legislation Senator KYL and I have drafted and has been out there for a year or more. But I believe with all my heart that what has brought lis to this day and this debate on the Senate floor is because Americans are terribly concerned that in a post9/l1 world. we simply do not have control of our borders. And they believeand I believe they are correctit exposes us to a danger and that the Federal Government has a primary responsibility of making sure our security interests are protected. As I said earlier today. border security is national security. Now. how did we get here? I believe this is important because I do not want people to get the wrong impression. We are a proud nation of immigrants. All of usno matter who we are. how we pronounce our last name. where we were borncame from somewhere else. America has been the net beneficiary of the fact that we have been that beacon of freedom and opportunity which has attracted people from all around the world.