[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 4026-4027]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            BORDER SECURITY

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this week, if there are no obstructionist 
tactics, the Senate will begin debate on protecting our country and 
fixing a broken immigration system.
  Since last fall, when I announced the Senate would take up this 
issue, the Judiciary Committee has spent over 5 weeks, and, as of 
today, they are in their sixth markup on it. I thank Chairman Specter 
for his leadership throughout this process, during these six markups 
over the last 5 weeks. The Judiciary Committee members and their staff 
have worked long and hard under his guidance. As we speak, his 
committee is in session trying to finish the task set out for them. I, 
as leader, appreciate that and appreciate their efforts and the 
tremendous work they have done thus far.
  America needs secure borders. Right now, we do not have them. Every 
day,

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thousands of people violate our frontiers. We do not know who they are 
and quite often we cannot stop them. As a nation of immigrants which 
honors the rule of law, we must secure our borders to make America 
safe, so we can fix our country's immigration system.
  We are a nation of immigrants. We all came from somewhere else, and 
we have all benefited from America's uniquely inclusive ethos. But 
America is also a nation of laws. Our laws bind and protect us. They 
transform us from seekers into citizens and are the very foundation of 
our democracy.
  A nation that cannot secure its borders cannot secure its destiny or 
administer its laws. The situation along our southern border now ranks 
as a national security challenge second only to the war on terror.
  Before we left for last week's recess, I introduced the Securing 
America's Borders Act, or SABA, so that the Senate would be able to 
take up border security and interior law enforcement and allow the 
Senate to focus on comprehensive illegal immigration reform. It 
includes a number of commonsense, consensus measures that improve 
security along our physical border, crack down on human smugglers, 
simplify the process of deporting wrongdoers, and make it easier for 
employers to confirm their employees' legal status. And many of its 
provisions are built from ideas in the 9/11 Commission report.
  Why should we act and why should we act now? Well, every day we delay 
we discover new facts that show us waiting makes America less safe and 
less secure. To take just one example, in January, officials discovered 
a massive tunnel stretching nearly a half a mile from Tijuana to San 
Diego. We do not know how many, or who, snuck in through this tunnel. 
We do not know what materials came into our country, or when, through 
this tunnel.
  When people break our laws and come through our borders, we do know 
that mixed in with families looking for a better life are drug dealers, 
human traffickers, terrorists, and common criminals who cross into our 
country. Increasing our border security reduces that threat to our 
country and to our citizens.
  The danger is not only to America; there is danger to those who try 
to cross our borders as well. Unofficial data collected along the 
Arizona border--the only area for which we have information--show that 
nearly 225 people died along the border in 2005 alone. About 10 percent 
perished under circumstances that suggest foul play. And we all know 
the terrible stories of those who prey on vulnerable migrants, who 
charge outrageous prices to smuggle them across the border and then, 
often, abandon them the moment trouble strikes. That is wrong. We must 
act. And we will do so over the next 2 weeks.
  We need better enforcement and more manpower on the ground. Last 
year, the Senate led the charge to provide funding to hire 1,000 
additional officers, more equipment, and more detention beds. This was 
a start but only a start.
  My proposal adds nearly 15,000 more officers over the next few years 
in a sustained and focused effort to buttress the 20,000 already 
deployed to work on border issues. It also requires new investments in 
unmanned aerial vehicles, cameras, and sensors, and a comprehensive 
national border security strategy. It establishes the long-term project 
of building a virtual barrier to cover every mile of the 1,951-mile 
long border with Mexico. This will both make America safer and reduce 
the number of people endangering themselves trying to come into this 
country.
  In addition to physically strengthening the border, the bill makes it 
easier for the Department of Homeland Security to catch people who 
violate our immigration laws. It enhances the collection of biometric 
data about who enters the country and allows the Homeland Security 
Department to set up additional border checkpoints.
  The law creates tough, new penalties for human smugglers and document 
forgers. And under this bill, terrorists, dangerous gang members, and 
others with serious criminal connections face expedited removal from 
the United States.
  But my bill doesn't just draw on the common sense of the American 
people for its provisions; it also looks to the 
9/11 Commission report for guidance.
  Many of the bill's provisions reflect the guidance of that 
commission. For example, the commission recommended that we consolidate 
border screening systems. SABA does that. It encouraged the use of 
biometric data to keep track of who was coming and going. SABA does 
that. It identified the need of State and local officials to work with 
Federal agencies to identify terrorist suspects. SABA does that as 
well.
  Securing the border and enforcing our laws are crucial first steps to 
making America safer. But much more remains to be done. There are over 
11 million people in this country illegally today. Congress cannot turn 
a blind eye to this growing number. We need to act.
  As many know, I oppose amnesty. With our economy at full employment, 
many who break our laws come to this country to do the work others 
won't do so as to make a better life for themselves and their families. 
I honor that. America has always been the place where one can come to 
live out a dream of improvement and renewal. But while we welcome those 
who refresh and restore our American spirit, we have always done so 
within a framework of law. The full Senate should have the chance to 
discuss and to debate and to decide how we balance that rule of law 
with the situation as we find it today.
  I am here to solve problems, not stand around. All Members come here 
to act and not to fill space. We need to work together so that all 100 
Senators have the opportunity to work within our rules to solve this 
problem.
  I do hope the minority will not put procedural roadblocks in the way 
of the Senate resolving these issues, so we can put some of our 
country's best minds to work here on the floor now, this week.
  I invite all who have ideas to come and work with us. Together, 
rather than apart, we can bring the best to bear to solve this problem 
of illegal immigration so that America is safer, so that America is 
more secure.
  As I said when I introduced the bill we call SABA, I want this coming 
debate to reflect our history in America as a nation committed to the 
rule of law and our immigrant inheritance.
  I am glad many agree on the need to ensure our debate is in the best 
keeping of the Senate's traditions. We ought to be honest about the 
problems we face and the outcomes we seek, within a framework of 
conversation that does credit to the Senate and the Nation.
  This debate, and our effort, is about the American dream and the hope 
this country holds for so many hard-working people. But it is also an 
issue about what it means to be a nation. And every nation must keep 
its citizens safe and keep its borders secure. We should not have to 
choose between respect for our history and respect for our laws.
  With hard work and responsible debate, we can have both. I hope we 
can conduct this debate with civility and seriousness. I look forward 
to a thorough and full discussion over the coming days.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Chambliss). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The President pro tempore is recognized.

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