[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11815-S11816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SENATOR ABRAHAM

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I did want to take a moment, as someone

[[Page S11816]]

who has been involved in immigration issues over some 38 years in the 
Senate, and someone who has worked with colleagues in a bipartisan way. 
I wanted to let my friend from Michigan know something which I hope he 
already does know. I wanted to share the great respect I have for him 
and his leadership on immigration issues, as the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Immigration.
  Immigration issues bring out, really, the best and the worst in our 
colleagues. These are emotional issues for many of us. We have a Senate 
and House of Representatives that have strong views on these issues. 
His hand has been a steady, guiding one of leadership over this period 
of time, and one I thought showed enormous sensitivity in helping to 
guide immigration policy in a way that respects the strong tradition of 
people in this Nation to acknowledge and continually work to remedy the 
very significant inequities that are still a part of our policy.
  I also point out what I think all of us in this body remember, his 
strong leadership in helping us work through the skill shortage in our 
high-tech industries. He led the Judiciary Committee and the Senate in 
the development of that program. What certainly impressed me during 
that period of time was his constant willingness to look at different 
ideas, different approaches, and differing views, and to always try to 
reach out to find some common understanding in these areas in order to 
move the process forward--a real legislator.
  I know he is proud of many different aspects of his service in the 
Senate, but I wanted to express from this side of the aisle the 
affection and friendship of those of us who have worked with him in 
some very important areas of public policy, and the high regard and 
respect we have for him. We are hopeful that we'll have a chance to 
work with him on public policy in the future.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, if I might, I thank the Senator from 
Massachusetts for his kind remarks. I had occasion a couple of days ago 
to speak to the Senate. At that time I expressed publicly my thanks to 
him. He was not in the Chamber at the time, so I reiterate it here. We 
worked, I think, in a very constructive way on a number of issues as 
members of the Subcommittee on Immigration and on a variety of other 
issues he has mentioned here as well. I thank him for his remarks 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.

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