Speech #1090122390

Republicans and Democrats. and the Senates Independent. to vote for cloture on the bipartisan committee bill. to bring this debate to a head and a successful conclusion. in the time and on the terms set by the majority leader. If we are to pass a bipartisan bill by the end of this week. we will need to join together to support cloture on the bipartisan committee bill. proceed to work our way through the remaining amendments and pass the bill. This is a historic vote on whether the Senate is committed to making real immigration reform. I urge all Senators to vote for reform by supporting this cloture motion on the bipartisan bill that balances tough enforcement with human dignity. The Republican manager of the bill was right to take on the smear campaign against the committee bill from opponents who falsely labeled it amnesty. The committee bill on which cloture is being sought is not an amnesty bill but a tough bill with a realistic way to strengthen our security and border enforcement while bringing people out of the shadows to have them earn citizenship over the course of 11 years through fines and work and paying taxes and learning English and swearing allegiance to the United States. As The New York Times noted in a recent editorial. painting the word "deer" on a cow and taking it into the woods does not make the cow into a deer. It is most ironic to hear those in the majority of the Republican Congress talk about amnesty and lack of accountability.