[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3841-S3842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Unanimous Consent Request--S. 505

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, let's start at the grassroots of Iowa.
  The question that comes up frequently at my county meetings--and next 
week, I am going to hold a Q&A in 12 of Iowa's 99 counties, and I 
expect I will get this question that I am going to pose to you: 
Senator, what are you going to do about the open border, people 
illegally entering our country?
  My answer is usually pretty short--that long before I came to the 
Congress, Congress passed laws saying you can't come to our country 
without our permission. In fact, I add that we are a very favorable 
country toward immigration because about 1 million people come here 
every year, and maybe we should have more who come here under our laws, 
within those laws, not breaking our laws by entering the country 
illegally.
  I don't get much of a pushback from that because I explain to them 
that we pass laws, and then the President enforces those laws under our 
Constitution.
  The President has decided not to enforce the immigration laws. It 
shouldn't surprise us that he has taken that position for 3\1/2\ years 
because he told us before the election that he was going to open the 
border.
  But there are some things Congress can do about immigration. That is 
why I am here on the floor today to ask unanimous consent for a piece 
of legislation that I put in. Maybe if this legislation becomes law, 
the President still might decide not to enforce it, like every other 
law.
  Since day one, the Biden administration has pursued an open border 
policy. The result has been utter chaos and a crisis at the southern 
border. This crisis has become an indelible hallmark of President 
Biden's America.
  However, President Biden, as I have said, has the authority to secure 
the border. He is already empowered under current law to do that. He 
could do it today if he really wanted to. It is the same authority that 
President Trump used to secure our border just a few years ago.
  The Constitution makes very clear that the President takes an oath 
that he shall take care to faithfully execute the laws. President Biden 
doesn't follow that constitutional oath to take care in regard to the 
immigration laws. Trump did take that oath very seriously.
  Under the Biden administration, some 9 million migrants have been 
allowed to illegally enter our country. That is about three times the 
population of my home State of Iowa. The President has done that for 
3\1/2\ years. Let me repeat that that 9 million figure is like the 
entire population of Iowa nearly three times over.
  So instead of taking care that the laws be faithfully executed, 
enforcing these immigration laws already on the books, this 
administration chooses to ignore our border and abuse our Nation's 
immigration parole and asylum system. That is what my bill deals with, 
the parole system.
  Immigration parole is supposed to allow the executive branch to 
temporarily grant individuals entry into the United States on a limited 
but case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant 
public benefit. But instead of case by case, the Biden administration 
uses this program to admit entire categories of people as a means to 
bypass the legal immigration pathways outlined by Congress--in other 
words, not doing it on a case-by-case basis.
  The actions of President Biden are completely out of line with what 
Congress intended to be the parole authority. So to address this 
loophole, I have introduced S. 505, the Immigration Parole Reform Act.
  My bill will close this loophole and ensure compliance with 
Congress's original intent as a limited authority for exceptional 
circumstances. My bill outlines specific parameters for what 
constitutes an urgent humanitarian reason or significant public 
benefit. This bill would also provide clarity on the timing and 
extension of immigration parole, among other reforms.
  So at this point, Mr. President, as in legislative session and 
notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 505 and 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the 
bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from California.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, this week 
has given the American people yet another clear window into the 
Republican mind when it comes to immigration: They are not serious 
about addressing immigration or about having secure or humanely managed 
borders.
  Instead, Republicans only seem to believe in highlighting the 
challenges at our border instead of actually taking action to address 
them, and it is because they are prioritizing how it may impact the 
results at the ballot box this November. That is their goal: to stoke 
more and more fear of immigrants every month between now and election 
day.
  So I have asked before, and I will ask again: My Republican 
colleagues, when are you ready to get serious about immigration reform?
  All but ending the practice of parole and cutting off legal pathways 
to immigrants is not a serious approach to the immigration problem. 
They know it can't happen in practice, and maybe that is exactly why 
they are calling for it.
  Let's be clear what this is and what this isn't. This is not updating 
the amnesty process, which is legal but in dire need of additional 
resources, so that we can provide due process for those who may be 
seeking amnesty and provide them determinations on their requests 
sooner rather than later.
  This is not updating work visa programs, because I know that all of 
us are hearing from employers across industries that there is a need 
for additional workers to keep our economy thriving.
  What we are talking about here with this measure is parole in place. 
Every President since Eisenhower has used the parole authority on a 
case-by-case basis to allow a safe and secure path for immigrants who 
are fleeing natural disasters or who need urgent, specialized medical 
care to come to the United States. That is what we are talking about. 
Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have used it because it is a 
humane way to help address global crises.
  I will give you some more recent examples. We have been able to 
provide protections for families of our military members. We have been 
able to provide protections for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. We 
have been able to provide protections for people who fled Afghanistan 
after the Taliban takeover, and for Haitians, more recently, and 
Venezuelans and those of other nationalities seeking refuge from 
violence and instability in their home countries.
  Taking it away will actually force more people to come to the 
southern border, instead of using other lawful pathways like parole to 
come in a more orderly way. Is that what Republicans really want--
because that is what would happen--to force more people to go to the 
border so they can continue to point fingers at a crisis of their own 
making?
  The President's ability to grant parole on a case-by-case basis to 
people fleeing horrific and dangerous conditions is actually 
fundamental to America's continued leadership and our proud history of 
embracing strategic immigration as part of our success.
  This bill represents a lack of respect for humanity and the laws of 
our Nation, and, therefore, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

[[Page S3842]]

  

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to speak for 30 seconds 
before I yield.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I regret that there was objection 
because fixing the Biden border crisis begins with regaining 
operational control and security at the border. This responsibility 
ultimately falls to President Biden, as head of the executive branch, 
to enforce the border and immigration laws already on the books. In 
other words, I would ask President Biden to honor his oath, where he 
said, in upholding the Constitution, he would take care to faithfully 
execute the laws.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. BUDD. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.