[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S6731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IMMIGRATION BILL CONFERENCE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we saw the Senate at its best a few weeks 
ago when we passed comprehensive immigration reform. Democrats and 
Republicans, working together, passed a very complicated bill in a 
relatively short period of time, with dozens of amendments. We passed a 
bill. People are looking for us to do things together and we did 
something together. The President was involved in this and I appreciate 
that very much. We did good border security. We did something to deal 
with guest workers. We did something to put the 12 million people who 
are here on a proper pathway to legalization. Even though they have the 
opportunity to do that, they will not go to the front of the line. It 
is something we have to do. They will have to have jobs, pay taxes, 
make sure they stay out of trouble, and learn English. We also put in 
the bill excellent provisions so that employer sanctions will be 
enforced.
  So we did a good job on this bill. We passed a bipartisan, 
comprehensive bill that will address the urgent national security issue 
facing us, and that is immigration and border security. In contrast, 
the House passed a bill that would make felons out of 12 million 
people. In addition, potential felons would be a Catholic priest giving 
eucharist to his parishioners or a health care worker trying to help 
someone who is homeless or a social worker and many examples where they 
would become felons.
  The bill in the House is mean-spirited and it is wrong. People who 
run soup kitchens should not be felons. People who are domestic 
violence counselors should not be felons. Certainly, members of the 
clergy should not be felons.
  A little over 3 weeks ago, I proposed a unanimous-consent agreement 
that would allow us to move forward a House-Senate negotiation on the 
immigration bill. I asked consent that we take up the House immigration 
bill, substitute the text of the Senate bill, and then appoint 
conferees. My friend, the majority whip, Senator McConnell, objected 
due to a threat of the House Republicans to ``blue slip'' the bill. 
Senator McConnell asked that we take up and appoint conferees to H.R. 
4096, a House-passed tax bill that is here in the Senate to address the 
House's constitutional concerns. I think they are unfounded, but I 
accept Senator McConnell's objection. Therefore, I had no choice but to 
object because I was concerned that House leaders would use this tax 
bill as an opportunity for mischief and would insert many items that 
are repugnant to what we are trying to do with taxes in an immigration 
bill.

  Since then, I have asked the majority leader for some assurances that 
this procedural maneuver would be used solely to get around the blue 
slip problem and that the conference report would not be used as a 
vehicle for tax provisions that have nothing to do with the immigration 
bill.
  The majority leader has provided such assurances to me orally. In 
addition, Senators Specter, Graham, and McCain have given me written 
assurances that they will not sign a conference report that contains 
tax provisions unrelated to the immigration bill.
  Among other things, this letter says:

       As chairman--

  That is Senator Specter--

     and likely members of the immigration conference--

  That is Senators McCain and Graham--

     we would not sign any conference report that contains tax 
     changes not related to immigration. We simply will not allow 
     the use of the tax bill as a vehicle for comprehensive 
     immigration reform to be abused in conference.

  I very much appreciate these three fine men giving me this letter. I 
think this is a way to move forward.
  Based on the oral assurance of the majority leader and the written 
assurance from these three Republican Senators, we as Democrats stand 
ready to appoint conferees and to move forward on this bill at any time 
the majority leader allows that to happen. We are willing to move 
forward under the terms previously suggested by the majority whip. We 
would consent to using the House-passed tax bill as a vehicle for this 
immigration conference based on these new assurances. I hope we can do 
that as soon as possible.
  I express my apology to my friend from Kansas and thank him for being 
so patient waiting for Senator Frist and I to complete our morning 
statements.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Kansas is 
recognized.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Nevada, the 
Democratic leader, for his last statement of willingness to appoint 
conferees and use other vehicles that will not have the blue slip 
problem on the House side. Comprehensive immigration reform is a 
critical and most important piece of legislation we will pass in 
conference if we can get it done. I appreciate my colleague doing that.
  It is a tough topic. He has been willing to work with us along the 
way, not without difficulties at different steps. I really appreciate 
his willingness to work on such a difficult topic with us.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, will my friend yield for a question?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Yes, I will.
  Mr. REID. The Senator heard the statement I read into the Record in 
the letter from Senators Specter, Graham, and McCain. I am confident 
that the Senator from Kansas agrees that the immigration bill should 
not contain any extraneous tax matters; is that correct?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I do, and I appreciate the opportunity 
to say so on the Senate floor as well. I don't want to see this process 
manipulated and the Senator put in a position where he is not 
comfortable with trying to get done what we all want. I don't think 
that is right. I don't think that is the comity of the Senate, and I 
stand with my colleagues who signed that letter as well.
  Again, I thank the Senator for moving this forward. If we can get 
this immigration bill moving forward, it would be a major 
accomplishment for us and for the Nation.

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