Speech #1100050496

Also. I wish to say I am not pleased. and I oppose the motion to proceed to last years bill. When we talked about the comprehensive immigration bill last year. I pointed out 17 loopholes in the bill in a series of speeches. and people began to take to heart a number of points I made. frankly. The negotiators of the new bill have come back with a bill that has some of the intention to or at least purports to deal with some of the concerns I had last year. I have to say I was pleased to hear that we were considering a point system. such as Canadas. that we were considering a temporary worker programn. I was told by the people who met and drafted this legislation. that the guest worker program would be for temporary workers and it could work to serve our economy. I am afraid. that if you read the legislation. that the needed immigration reform is not so. That is not what we have in either case and to any significant degree. it is a bit of windowdressing of some movements in those areas and some fairly significant steps. frankly. that we need to hold on to and need to be a part of a fundamental reform of immigration. There are some positive steps. but they are just not effective enough. as I will discuss later. I reject the idea that a movement to a system such as Canadas or Australias that is based on merit and skills for immigration is somehow. as I think Senator REID said. an attack on the family. I am offended by that statement. A person who wants to come to this country. has to ask to be admitted into the United States of America. and say that: I have not been a criminal. I meet the standards for admission. and I want to be a productive citizen. Then after we give that person a green card. that person can become a citizen and have the right to demand that his or her parents be allowed to come here. the aging parents who will be fundamentally supported by the American taxpayers. demand that his or her brothers and sisters and their spouses and children be allowed to come. So how is this an attack on your family if we say: You can come. you can be a citizen. but right up front. you cannot bring your parents. adult children. and siblings. you dont have any special rights to do so. but they can apply if they qualify. just like everybody else. based on their own merit. But why should the fact that we give one person a glorious thingcitizenship in the United Statesentitle them to bring maybe tens of other people?