[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6361-S6362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
private first class alejandro varela
Mr. REID. Mr. President, over the weekend, 7 U.S. soldiers were
killed in Iraq--in 2 days--bringing the total this month to over 70 and
the total since the war started to 3,422 American soldiers.
On Friday, the State of Nevada lost PFC Alejandro Varela, a 19-year-
old from Fernley, NV. As he traveled south from Baghdad, his vehicle
was hit by a makeshift bomb, and he was killed.
Alejandro was known in high school and by his family as Alex. Serving
in the military was his ambition, and he worked very hard to earn his
GED so he could arrive at the goal of being able to join the military.
For lack of a better description, my heart and the hearts of Nevadans
and all Americans ache with the loss of this 19-year-old man. Yet we
have to be proud of his willingness to serve and his courage and we are
certainly humbled by the sacrifice he made in giving his life.
emergency supplemental
Mr. President, this week the Senate will continue the conference on
the emergency supplemental bill. Negotiations have not been easy as
President Bush continues to stand isolated to his commitment to this
endless war. We will continue to negotiate in good faith and in the
spirit of bipartisanship. We will send the President a bill that fully
funds our troops. We stand firm in our commitment to change course and
bring the war to a responsible end.
immigration reform
While the supplemental conference committee continues to meet, we
will begin addressing the complex, crucial issue of immigration reform,
and we will do that today. We all agree the current system is broken.
Employers don't know whom they can hire and whom they can fire.
Produce is dying on the vine because farmers cannot find enough workers
to harvest crops. There are no winners under the current system, only
losers.
The Senate will have an opportunity this afternoon to vote on whether
to begin debate on comprehensive immigration reform.
The bill we debate and eventually pass will give us the chance to
strengthen border security, put in place an effective and efficient
employer verification system, design a
[[Page S6362]]
new worker program to take pressure off the borders, and give the 12
million undocumented immigrants the opportunity to come out of the
shadows and into the light of America. Improving border security is
only part of the puzzle. As long as the identities of those who cross
the border are unknown, our national security is at risk.
There is no question but that we need more Border Patrol agents with
better technology and equipment. But there is also no question that
enforcement alone cannot solve the problems of immigration.
We have tripled the number of Border Patrol agents over the last 20
years and increased the Border Patrol budget 10 times over. Yet the
probability of catching someone illegally crossing the border has
fallen from one-third to only 5 percent. That is a startling figure.
A population as high as that of Las Vegas crosses the border every
year. That is almost a million people who find their way into the
country, despite our best efforts at enforcement. Fences alone would
not stop them. Years of dangerous border crossings show us that
millions will risk their lives for the opportunity to reach what is on
the other side of that border.
We must not forget that just as these immigrants depend on America
for opportunity, our economy depends on them as well. The overwhelming
majority of undocumented immigrants have lived here for years,
contributing to our economy lawfully and honestly, causing harm to no
one.
Many have children and spouses who are U.S. citizens or permanent
residents. Many own property and contribute to their communities. Yet,
unlike us, they live their lives in hiding. If they are a victim of a
crime, they cannot report it. They cannot do that because they have to
avoid contact with the police. If they are treated unfairly in the
workplace, they have almost no recourse. If they are discovered, they
face deportation and separation from their families. Their families, as
we have indicated, are, many times, U.S. citizens.
We should not allow them to jump to the front of the line for a green
card, in front of those who have played by the rules, but we should
give them a place in line--a chance for citizenship--if they do what we
ask of them. We could continue to track down the undocumented
housekeepers, dishwashers, and farm laborers who live among us or we
can provide them the chance to earn their citizenship with all the
responsibilities it requires and refocus our limited resources on those
who would do us harm, rather than those who would do us proud. We could
embrace the unrealistic rhetoric calling for mass deportation, or we
could pass laws that require them to pay taxes and learn English. If we
put rhetoric aside, we have the opportunity to pass a law that treats
people fairly and strengthens our economy.
Over the past several weeks, a group of Senators has spent countless
hours and days negotiating in good faith and in the spirit of
compromise.
Last week, Democrats and Republicans, standing with the Secretaries
of Homeland Security and Commerce, announced they had finally reached
an agreement on immigration reform. The bill they have drafted will be
offered as a substitute amendment this evening for us to debate and
amend this week.
I am grateful to my colleagues for their hard work. Reaching
agreement on an issue as controversial as immigration requires
extraordinarily hard work, compromise, and consensus building. They
have taken that important first step.
I was not heavily involved in the negotiations, but similar to some
of my colleagues, I have reservations about the agreement that was
reached. The bill impacts families in a number of ways that I believe
are unwise. The bill also allows 400,000 low-skilled workers to come to
America for three 2-year terms but requires them to go home for a year
in between. This is impractical both for the worker and for the
American employers who need a stable, reliable workforce.
Senator Bingaman will offer an amendment almost immediately when the
bill is laid down to reduce that number to at least 200,000.
We must not create a law that guarantees a permanent underclass--
people who are here to work in low-wage, low-skill jobs but don't have
the chance to put down roots or benefit from the opportunities that
American citizenship affords.
Allowing these temporary workers to apply for possible citizenship
through a new points system is not good enough. There must be certain
opportunities for those who are willing to work hard and contribute to
our economy.
Finally, I will say a word about the idea of this so-called
touchback, which would require the head of each household eligible for
legalization to return to their home country to file their application
for a green card.
I understand this concept is important to many of my colleagues, but
it seems to be a plan that will cause needless hardship for immigrants
and needless bureaucracy for the Government.
Nearly everyone agrees that the existing bill is imperfect. The
problems I have outlined will be addressed in the Senate and in the
House and, of course, in conference. What we have now, though, is a
starting point.
I urge my colleagues to vote for cloture so we can begin an open
debate. The bipartisan legislation before us is not perfect, but I
think we can agree the spirit of bipartisanship behind it is
encouraging.
If we continue along that road in the coming days, I am confident we
can write another chapter in America's great immigration story that
makes our county safer, treats people with dignity, and keeps our
economy moving in the right direction.
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