[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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