Speech #1100056796

This amendment will provide the transparency and accountability to the public Americans want. Not only that. if the public views the enforcement mechanism as inadequate and not in compliance with our laws. they will be able to hold elected officials accountable at the voting booth. The May 30. 2007 Rasmussen report revealed the public does not support or trust this immigration bill. Seventyfour percent do not believe illegal immigration will decline if the Senate passes this bill. Fortyone percent believe illegal immigration will Increase. as we heard the group of retired Border Patrol agents state. Interestingly. if those polled had a chance to improve the legislation. 75 percent would make changes to increase border security measures and reduce illegal immigration. Sixtyf .ive percent of Americans are willing to accept a compromise on illegal status if you can assure them the rest of the laws are going to be enforced. This bill does not require that. and what they are going to get is the same thing they got in 1986. What this amendment will do is to help improve enforcement at the borders. It will reduce illegal immigration. it will give the public confidence. and it will give elected officials the opportunity to vote on the status of where we are in terms of enforcing the law. How did we get here? We got here through wellintentioned mistakes.