[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 89 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S4786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            VOTE EXPLANATION

 Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I was unable to cast a vote on 
the motion to table the Cornyn amendment No. 1251 to S. 744, the Border 
Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. I 
missed the vote today because I joined my family at my daughter's high 
school graduation ceremony. Had I been present, I would have voted to 
table the Cornyn amendment.
  We all agree that we need to do what is necessary to secure our 
border, but I would have voted to table the amendment for several 
reasons. One of the cornerstones of this legislation is bringing the 
roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows by 
creating a fair, tough and accountable path to citizenship. Delaying 
this pathway by several years would be a disservice to our economy, our 
safety, and our identity as a Nation of immigrants.
  This amendment could delay or even prevent undocumented immigrants 
from starting on the path to citizenship, and cost taxpayers up to $25 
billion. It is important to commit more resources and build on the 
progress we have already made on the border, and that is exactly what 
the bill already does. In the underlying bill, the Department of 
Homeland Security must submit two border security strategies to 
Congress within 180 days after enactment, one for achieving effective 
control of the entire southern border and another plan specifically for 
improving fencing on the border. The bill will immediately appropriate 
a total of $4.5 billion for these two plans to be implemented.

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