Speech #1100067545

I thank Senator SPECTER and the majority leader for giving me this time. Mr. President. my part of the division of this amendment. simply stated. will cut the path to citizenship for illegal aliens. I think most people will recognize that citizenship is the most precious gift America can provide. There are many of us who believe it should not serve as a reward to those who broke the law to enter or remain in this country. The path to citizenship is at the heart of the amnesty criticism of this bill. which we are hearing very loudly in my State and across the Nation. I believe cutting this path cuts out the most severe complaint against this bill. I supported the Vitter amendment to strike the entire amnesty proposal for 12 million illegal aliens in the country. and that amendment was rejected. Perhaps it was too broad. So my division of the current amendment targets the most controversial aspect of the proposal: the award of citizenship to those 12 million illegal aliens who essentially will stay heremaybe take a 1day tripenjoy the benefits of residence. and then can become citizens without having to go through the process everyone else seeking to become a citizen has to go through. which is applying in their home country. and waiting for their time to arrive. Whatever we end up doing for those 12 million illegal aliens. it does not. in my view. require the further step of granting citizenship. Those 12 million illegal aliens came to this country to workto workwithout expectation of becoming citizens. We ought to understand that. They came here to work. not to become citizens. Now. more legal aliens will come to this country on a temporary basis to work without the expectation of citizenship. There is no need to grant these people the gift of citizenship when they came here to meet their economic needs. The bill. as we know. puts the 12 million illegal immigrants who comply with its terms on the path to citizenship. Illegal immigrants who pay a fine and pass a security check. learn English. touch back to their home country. and show employment can become legalized under the new Z visa program. After 8 years. formerly illegal immigrants. now legalized with Z visas. may apply for legalized permanent residence. otherwise known as a green card. As most of us already know. under existing law. once you have had a green card for a certain number of years. you can apply for and receive citizenship. My division simply will cut off that path. automatically invoked once a green card is bestowed. by preventing those formerly illegal immigrants with Z visas from obtaining green card status and therefore citizenship. Specifically. my portion of the amendment would strike the contents of section 602 on earned adjustment for Z status aliens. replacing it with a prohibition on issuing an immigrant visa to Z nonimmigrants. which is currently in the bill. and a prohibition on adjusting a Z nonimmigrant to legalized permanent residency. or socalled green card holders. This proposal of mine would not change any of the bills requirements to obtain and keep a Z visa. such as a clean criminal record. progressively better English competency. or continued employment. Nor does my proposal change any of the rights afforded to Z visa holders. including work. residency. and travel. Z visa holders would remain in that status as long as they chose. Alternativelyand this is an alternativeZ visa holders could abandon their status. return to their home country and. if they choose. pursue legalized permanent residency and citizenship from outside the country. as any other foreign citizen could. As I discussed above. I do personally support granting the rights I enumerated for Z visa holders. I supported the Vitter amendment to strip all the Z program provisions. But the Senate had its vote on all of those provisions and we lost. This amendment is the next best thing. Our immigration system Is broken and must be fixed. I support a strong emphasis on border security and enforcing the immigration laws. but we should not hold border security hostage to amnesty. I voted before and will continue to vote to appropriate more money for funding for border fencing. detention facilities. and border agents. I urge my fellow Senators to support those ways to strengthen and protect our country and our security. but reject rewarding illegal immigrants with undeserved citizenship. I thank the Chair. and I yield the floor.