Speech #1090119905

But I do not believe the American people will accept a proposal which includes amnesty because they understand that American citizenship is a very special privilege. and they reject the notion that we have no choice but to give it 152. Pt. 4 4669 out because the Federal Government has simply failed to enforce the law. I strongly believe that we need comprehensive immigration reform. including border security. I think we need to provide a path to the 10 million people who have come here in violation of our immigration laws. who already live in the United States. But I have a fundamental disagreement with the approach contained in this amendment. I believe we must start with the rule that people who have come to this country in violation of our immigration laws should be required to go through the same process as all other legal immigrants. Let me say that again. I believe we must start with an approach that people who have come to this country in violation of our immigration laws should be required to go through the same process as all other legal immigrants. But this committee product does exactly the opposite. It is a solution of sorts based on weakness and the selffulfilling prophesy that we cannot enforce our own laws. The message this amendment sends to the American people is that because we cant enforce our immigration laws. the only way to address the 12 million people who have come here in violation of our immigration laws is to reward them with a special pass. a permanent resident status. and citizenship. Some say this legislationthe committee billis the only way to realistically deal with people who have come to our country in violation of our laws. But I reject this point of viewthis defeatism. In fact. when I hear someone say that only amnesty will work. what I really want to ask them is: Why do we have immigration laws at all? There are those. as I have said earlier. who see amnesty behind every bush and call every proposed solution to the problem amnesty. I am not addressing those people with my remarks today because I dont think they will ever be convinced otherwise.