Speech #1090138996

Mr. President. when the Senate resumed its consideration of comprehensive immigration reform last week. I began by expressing my hope that we would finish the job the Judiciary Committee started in March and the Senate began in April. We need to fix the broken immigration system with tough reforms that secure our borders and with reforms that will bring millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. I have said all along that Democratic Senators cannot pass a fair and comprehensive bill alone. Over the last 2 weeks we finally got some help. I would like to especially thank Senators KENNEDY and McCAiN. as well as Chairman SPECTER and the Democratic leader. for their tireless work on this bill. We got some words of encouragement from President Bush last week when he began speaking out more forcefully and in more specific terms about all of the components needed for comprehensive legislation. For the first time. he expressly endorsed a pathway to earned citizenship for the millions of undocumented workers now here. I thank him for joining in this effort. But his work Is far from done. We will need his influence with the recalcitrant members of his party here in the House if we are ultimately to be successful in our legislative effort. Without effective intervention of the President. this effort is unlikely to be successful and the prospects for securing our borders and dealing with the. hopes of millions who now live in the shadows of our society will be destroyed. Those who have peacefully demonstrated their dedication to justice and comprehensive immigration reform should not be relegated back into the shadows. Yesterday we were able to begin to draw to a close the Republican filibuster against comprehensive immigration reform. When Republicans filibustered two cloture votes last month. including one on a motion by the Republican leader. I was disappointed. I had hoped we would recognize the lawful. heartfelt protests of millions against the harsh Housepassed criminalization measures. While they waved American flags. some of those fueling antiimmigrant feelings burned flags of other countries. I am encouraged that through the course of this debate we have been able to convince enough Senate Republicans to join us in our efforts and to appreciate the contributions of immigrants to our economy and our Nation. This bill is not all that it should be in my view. By incorporating the HagelMartinez formulation. we have compromised from the initial compromise.