Speech #1090158157

Mr. President. for a moment I wanted to address the subject of immigration before we leave for the weekend. About 2 months ago. I offered an amendment to the Senate immigration bill which at the time was referred to as a dealbreaker. I want to suggest that it is now being referred to as a dealmaker. I wish to offer some suggestions constructively for the Senate to consider and others who are involved in this debate. I want to repeat. for the benefit of everyone. what the amendment I offered and the distinguished Presiding Officer supported. as well as many other Members of the Senatenot enough but almost enoughsimply said: That no program contained in the act that granted legal status to someone who was in America illegally could take effect until the Secretary of Homeland Security certified that all of the border security measures proposed in the act in title I and section 233 of title II were in force. funded. and operational. It has become known as a trigger because it said that any guest worker program or any other reform that took place could only take place after we had done the job the American people suggested we should do. A lot of people said: We cant secure our border. If we can transplant hearts and fly to the Moon. we can secure our border. What we have needed is resolve. I have been pleased to see just this week countless articles in countless newspapers where all of the players in the debate. from the White House to the Senate. the House of Representatives. have now opened themselves to discuss a trigger in the immigration reform bill to ensure that when we have immigration reform. it is truly comprehensive because I would suggest to them that in the absence of border security. there can be no comprehensive reform. Only when people know that the door is closed will they cooperate with not only the spirit but the letter of the law and the reforms that we make. Just to remind us in the Senate. we were very specific in title I. The specifics of title I said we will train the 6.000 Border Patrol agents and put them online. That takes 2 years to do. It said we will build the barriers where necessary geographically and the roads where essential.