Speech #1090170481

Yet. H.R. 994 was motivated more by upcoming elections than honor and remembrance. Todays 911 resolution to honor the victims and heroes o1 911 includes controversial legislation which criminalizes immigrant families and strips Americans of those civil liberties which are the very fabric of our democracy. It links the thoughts and prayers for servicemen and women with efforts to deport the families of immigrant soldiersmany of whom are not U.S. citizens. The resolution also defends the practice of wiretappingan invasion of privacy which neither Congress nor the courts have either expressly or implicitly approved and which undermines the right to privacy. Debates about immigration and civil rights are important to the future and fabric of our country. America needs comprehensive immigration reform. policies which provide strong support for a more intelligent and realistic approach to controlling immigration. including enhanced border security. workplace and employer enforcement. and earned legalization for immigrants with a path to citizenship. But an entorcement only approach. such as H.R. 4437. has failed in the pass and is doomed to fail again. We need a new direction for Americas security and there are several steps that Congress must take now to keep our country safe. We must guard against future attacks by implementing all of the 911 Commission recommendations. screening 100 percent of containers and cargo bound for the United States in ships and planes. and ensuring our first responders have the training. equipment and technology they need. Yet our Nation will be not become more secure by partisan resolutions endorsing failed immigration approaches and programs which threaten our civil liberties. As we remember the past. we must look toward the future to ensure our Nation and our world is safer. We must. at the same time. protect that which makes Americas democracy so great--our civil liberties. and lead the worid toward peace through diplomacy.