This is really. at bottom. whether the President. when he put his hand on the Bible and he took a sacred oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States. whether he really meant it or whether he had his fingers crossed behind his back. Like many of my colleagues. I have had the privilege of participating in naturalization ceremonies all across my State. where I have seen individuals from Vietnam. India. Mexico. and from countries all around the world take the oath of allegiance to the United States of America. It is an inspiring and heartwarming occasion and. of course. many of them have taken that oath while wearing the uniform of the U.S. military. where they have served with honor and dignity as they await approval of their citizenship. One of the first bills I passed when I came to the Senate was with Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. the liberal lion of the Senate. What we did is we passed a simple piece of legislation that expedited the process whereby immigrants who serve in the military can become American citizens. That was one of the first bills I was a part of that passed when I came to the Senate. Of course. these naturalization ceremonies represent a proud day. not only for these new Americans but for all Americans and for our Nation as a whole. where we welcome new citizens with open arms to this country to find a better life for themselves. for their family and. in the process. for all of us. But the President has now threatenedand he is the one who has made the threat: If you dont do it on my timetable. according to the terms I prefer. I am going to do it myself.
Keywords matched
naturalization immigrants