Speech #1100054114

I think it is very important for us to retain the distinction. Citizenship has to mean something in this country. and one of the key things we think it means is being able to bring your spouse and minor children into the country when you want to do that. My point in discussing these amendments is to make the point that as anxious as I am to solve this problem by getting legislation passed that we believe does offer the opportunity for enforcement to end illegal immigration. to end the employment of illegal immigrants. and to ensure that from now on people who are here are playing by our rules rather than someone else~s rules. as much as we want to ensure this legislation can pass the Senate anti the House and be signed by the President. we also appreciate the fact that it represents a consensus based upon an extraordinary amount of negotiation. I go back to the point I made starting out. Nobody got 100 percent of what they wanted.