[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S1149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              IMMIGRATION

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I think it is safe to say it has been a 
disappointing week. I kept my commitment and set aside the entire week 
for a broad and productive debate over DACA, border security, and other 
important immigration issues. My friend the Democratic leader, the 
assistant Democratic leader, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus--
everyone agrees that I held up my end of the bargain.
  Back in December, I stated that if a bill that stood a chance of 
becoming law were ready in January, I would bring it to the floor. No 
such proposal was produced.
  Then, in January, when Democrats shut down the government over this 
issue, I offered to dedicate this week--this week that we have been 
in--to an immigration debate and a fair amendment process. I just did 
that, but the same Democrats failed to produce a solution and, instead, 
spent the better part of the week objecting to any votes in the Senate.
  I thought we might be able to resolve this. I was hoping we could 
reach a bipartisan solution that could pass the Senate, pass the House, 
and earn President Trump's signature. But, once again, when the hour 
came to actually make law instead of just making political points, our 
friends across the aisle were either unable or unwilling to get 
something done. After all the talk--all the talk--they hardly came to 
the table at all.
  I supported the plan introduced by Chairman Grassley and several 
other cosponsors. It fleshed out the President's framework, pairing a 
more than generous solution for 1.8 million illegal immigrants with 
commonsense steps to reform legal immigration, secure the border, and 
help law enforcement keep Americans safe.
  In my view, the President came a very long way--clearly, more than 
halfway--to meet the Democrats on this issue. In exchange for a pathway 
to citizenship--not just legal status, but a pathway to citizenship--
for nearly 2 million individuals, he sensibly wanted to reform pieces 
of our broken immigration system, secure our border, and make it harder 
for violent criminals and repeat offenders to prey on American 
citizens. That is more than a fair bargain--more than a fair bargain.
  I thought our friends across the aisle would jump at this opportunity 
to fulfill what they say is their top priority, but they just couldn't 
take yes for an answer. They turned away from a golden opportunity to 
solve the issue. They decided they would rather come away emptyhanded, 
with no resolution whatsoever for the 1.8 million individuals they say 
they are championing, than accept a reasonable compromise with the 
President of the United States.
  Even though this week has been squandered, this does not have to be 
the end of our efforts to resolve these matters. I would encourage 
Members to put away the talking points and get serious about finding a 
solution that can actually become law.
  I remain eager to improve our immigration policy. If a solution is 
developed in the future that can pass both the House and the Senate and 
be signed into law by the President, it should be considered. But for 
that to happen, Democrats will need to take a second look at these core 
elements of necessary reform.

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