[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 7, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE PRESIDENT'S IMMIGRATION INITIATIVE

  Mr. SIMON. Madam President, the administration has come under much 
criticism lately for its alleged failure to provide leadership on 
issues that are important to the nation. The 1996 Immigration 
Initiative announced by the administration this week, however, belies 
these contentions. The administration's policy proposal on this 
extremely important issue is thoughtful and comprehensive, and I 
applaud it.
  The administration's initiative recognizes, as do the people of this 
country, the need to formulate an effective response to the problem of 
illegal immigration, and proposes increased resources not only for 
border enforcement, but also increased resources to eliminate the job 
magnet that will continue to draw undocumented aliens into the country 
regardless of the success of our border policy. The initiative also 
reflects a desire to improve our ability to deport those aliens that 
have been identified as deportable, and to assist States that have long 
borne the burdens of our inability to prevent illegal immigration.
  For each of these objectives the administration has proposed the 
commitment of substantial resources; yet, at the same time, the 
initiative contains little that unnecessarily feeds the anti-immigrant 
xenophobia that has characterized the immigration policy debate in 
recent years. Rather, the administration's proposal takes a measured 
yet aggressive approach to the problems we must face. In short, while 
it has taken an undeniably firm stance against illegal immigration, the 
administration has not succumbed to the belief that immigration in all 
its shapes and forms is a bad thing. Quite the contrary: the initiative 
reflects the fact that, as the President has said, an effective 
immigration policy must combine deterrence of illegal immigration with 
an encouragement and celebration of legal immigration.
  I look forward to working with the administration and my colleagues 
in the Senate to effect this delicate balance, and to implement an 
immigration policy that is both tough and fair. The administration's 
proposal is certainly a great step in this direction.


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