Speech #1090125946

So that is why it is important we have some agreement on conference. Over the Easter recess. I sent a letter to the distinguished majority leader. my counterpart. urging him to bring the immigration bill back before the full Senate at the earliest possible time. I expressed my view that the Senate should resume the immigration debate immediately after we completed work on the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. That bill Is going to be completed this week. as we heard from the majority leader. I continue to believe that such a schedule makes a lot of sense. Few other issues are as important and no other is as ripe for Senate debate as this issue. Surely. we can pass comprehensive immigration legislation before the Memorial Day recess. But to accomplish that goal. the majority leader and I need to reach an agreement on the process for completing debate. There are two basic elements to such an agreement: the number of amendments and an understanding about how the bill will be handled in conference with the House. Opponents of reform and fairness have filed hundreds of amendmentsit is estimated about 500 amendments--to weaken or kill this comprehensive immigration legislation. We Democrats are prepared to debate and vote on some of these amendments. but there must be a finite number of amendments. Before we start the debate. we must know how many amendments there are.