[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8123]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, on Monday, we will return to the 
immigration reform bill. Members wishing to offer amendments to this 
bill and wishing to debate the bill are encouraged to do so starting on 
Monday.
  The first rollcall vote next week will be on Tuesday morning at 10 
o'clock. That particular vote will be on the confirmation of a circuit 
court judicial nomination. In all likelihood, we will have several 
other votes stacked on immigration shortly thereafter.
  We will have a full week next week. The Democratic leader and I 
outlined yesterday morning what the plans would be, expecting a full 
debate on what we know is a contentious issue, in large part because of 
the complexity of the issue.
  We all know we need to address the insecurity that exists on our 
borders today. It has to be first and foremost, up front. That is where 
illegal people, millions of illegal people, come through every year.
  There is a real distrust of Government being able to accomplish that 
among the American people today. We hear it by direct conversation, and 
we see it by e-mail. We have to do our absolute best to secure those 
borders. It takes money, it takes planning, it takes Federal 
involvement, State involvement, and that has to be accomplished.
  I feel very good about the progress that has been made to date. It is 
still totally inadequate, but last year we put about $10 billion on our 
borders, increasing the number of border security guards, and adding 
1,400 detention beds inside this country. It does take time when we put 
the money there to train people and to get them on board. I am not 
making any excuses, but that was the end of last year.
  Last week in this body, we said we need to spend another $1.9 billion 
on the border in terms of providing the technology, the surveillance, 
the infrared cameras, the unmanned aerial vehicles, the capital 
expenditures that are required.
  Now it is important for us to put together a comprehensive plan which 
stresses border security. We have to tighten it, but we also recognize 
this country is a magnet for people coming in from other countries. If 
we have employers hiring people illegally, who break the law, people 
are going to climb over the fence no matter how high we make it, or dig 
under that fence, and that is why we have to extend it to comprehensive 
reform.
  From a workforce standpoint, we in this Nation welcome legal 
immigrants to come and work. That will be addressed as well.
  It is going to require lots of debate, lots of amendments, and 
agreement. Again, the Democratic leader and I agree 100 percent on our 
approach, coming together in this body to address an issue which I hope 
will be in a dignified and civil way that reflects the very best of 
this institution. We will complete this bill before the Memorial Day 
recess.

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