[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17232]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              IMMIGRATION

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, before making my closing procedural 
remarks and turning the floor over to the Senator from Indiana, I would 
like to use morning business for a brief moment to respond to the 
Senator from Alabama.
  Our views on the immigration issue are much different. I happen to 
believe the current immigration system is a disaster. It is unfair to 
the people of America to allow 800,000 or more undocumented people to 
come into our country each year, three-fourths of whom will remain in 
our country, as they have over the last 20 years.
  Today there are about 12 million undocumented people. We have to stop 
the flow of undocumented across the border. The underlying immigration 
bill focuses on enforcement. The version that will be before us this 
week for the very first time invests $4 billion in enforcement. Those 
who argue we need to have stronger borders instead of broken borders, 
those who argue we should have enforcement in the workplace, should 
support this bill. It creates the laws and the tools to do that.
  I might also add I don't believe the procedural arguments are valid. 
First, let me say this bill has been on the floor pending, available 
for scrutiny for weeks--4 weeks, 5 weeks, at least. Anyone who argues 
they haven't had a chance to look at this bill, it isn't for lack of 
opportunity, as everyone should for a bill of this consequence.
  The second argument that somehow this process we are about to embark 
upon is so unusual as to be unfair, what the Senator failed to note is 
that the amendments which will be considered this week are an agreed-
upon list of amendments on a bipartisan basis. Democratic leaders, 
Republican leaders came together and are offering over 20 amendments 
which will be debated on and considered this week. There are amendments 
offered by Senators who are going to oppose this bill no matter what it 
says and amendments offered by those who support it.
  There will be ample opportunity for more debate on a bill that has 
already been debated for weeks--a bill which has been subjected to 
almost 40 amendments. I think most people understand the gravity of 
this bill, the importance of this bill, and the complexity of this 
bill. It is the effort of the majority leader, Harry Reid, to finally 
bring this matter to closure and a vote.
  There are some, who for a variety of different reasons, oppose this 
bill who have said: We will do everything within our power to stop this 
matter from coming to a vote. That is their right as Senators in this 
Chamber. It is the right of those who want to bring it to a vote to use 
the rules for their purposes. That is the nature of this body. That is 
what the Senate is all about. So I think it will be a fair process.
  At the end of the week, we will have considered this bill in its 
entirety and subjected it to amendment and debate. That is what the 
Senate should be about, and that is what this bill is concerned with.

                          ____________________