Senator Durbin was going to join me for a colloquy on some of these
issues, and with the end of the year legislation barrelling toward us,
I think he was detained, but I want to thank him for his leadership. In
fact, he has joined us now. With the indulgence of my friend from Nevada, I would like to
recognize my colleague from Illinois because no one in this Senate has
put in the time or shown the tenacity and the years-long commitment to
make this fight for justice for the Dreamers and those who are trying
to work their way through the DACA Program to a better future for
themselves and their communities. So I am very grateful to the Senator
from Illinois. I had mentioned in his absence that we thought at one time we would
have a full-scale colloquy, and I have pretty much used up my time in
terms of making some of the points about issues we have raised. With
the indulgence of our friend from Nevada, I want to again thank the
Senator from Illinois. We are on the cusp of being able to finally get
justice to these Dreamers and those in DACA, and I want this body and
people who are following this issue to know that we would not be in
this position without the help and the advocacy of the senior Senator
from Illinois. I appreciate my friend from Nevada allowing us to have time for the
Senator from Illinois.