[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Unanimous Consent Request--S. 2603

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, as in legislative session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration--
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has used his extra 3 minutes.
  Mr. DURBIN. I am making a unanimous consent request.
  As in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2603, introduced earlier 
today; further, that the bill be considered read three times and passed 
and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Louisiana.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, reserving the right to object, no one 
in this Chamber has more respect for the senior Senator from Illinois 
and the Democratic whip than I do. I share much of his frustration. I 
also share, and I believe what the Senator also believes, that 
immigration is an extraordinarily important subject that this body 
should be addressing. We are a nation of immigrants. The American 
people support legal immigration. I know the senior Senator from 
Illinois supports it. I certainly support it.
  I am rising to object because a number of my colleagues--and I don't 
want to simply put it on them; I join with them in this--would like a 
little additional time to study this bill. Equally important, if not 
more important, many of my colleagues' sentiment is that we should take 
this bill up first in the Judiciary Committee.
  I commit to the minority whip that I will join with him in trying to 
get our esteemed chairman to take this bill up. I don't think we ought 
to be afraid of this issue. I don't think we ought to be reluctant to 
take difficult votes. That is why we are here in the U.S. Senate. I 
also cannot think of a subject that is more important for this body to 
address than the subject of immigration, including but not limited to 
legal and illegal immigration.
  The fact of the matter is that the American people deserve an 
immigration system that looks like somebody designed it on purpose.
  For the reasons I just expressed, Madam President, I respectfully 
object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. I thank my colleague from Louisiana. We have worked on 
things together, and I hope we will continue to do so in the future.
  This is controversial, but it is so timely and important. The 
hundreds of people who demonstrated against this Senator last Sunday 
were people I welcomed into this country and believe will be an 
important part of our future. I am willing to find a solution to the 
problem, and I am willing to work on a bipartisan basis to do it. Your 
help will be invaluable.

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