[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18043-18044]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              IMMIGRATION

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I would like to make one other point in 
morning business and talk about, very briefly, on the events of the day 
yesterday. Yesterday was a very sad day for America, in two instances, 
when an ideological extreme group set back our country on immigration.
  On immigration, we had lots of prattling, lots of scare tactics. As a 
result, the immigration bill is paralyzed. That means something. It 
means that illegal immigrants will continue to flow into America. The 
number is 12 million; in 5 years, it will be 20 million. We will have 
done nothing. It will mean our legal immigration policies will be 
backward, and thousands of people who should be in this country, 
because of their skills and because we need them, will not be allowed 
to enter. We will lose competitive advantage. We hear it all the time, 
companies wanting to locate in America because they love our system 
but, because they can't get employees, going to Europe or Asia.
  On the immigration bill, a great nation is able to deal with its 
problems. A great nation leads and overcomes narrow, partisan, and 
sometimes nasty division to move forward. A great nation fails when it 
becomes paralyzed. I hope, I pray that what happened yesterday on the 
immigration bill is not portentous of the future. I hope and pray what 
happened yesterday on the immigration bill does not portend that we 
will be tied in a knot on every single issue of major import--
education, health care, energy, immigration--and not able to move 
forward.
  The double whammy: Yesterday, the Supreme Court, a new majority--the 
two new members of the Supreme Court who had impressed upon us their 
fidelity to stare decisis, to the rule of law, judicial modesty--with 
one stroke of the pen threw out decades of progress on civil rights in 
a reading just about everyone who participated in Brown v. Board who is 
still alive commented on and said that the reading flies in the face of 
Brown v. Board, despite the fact that the Chief Justice said by 
allowing segregated schools to continue, he was helping implement Brown 
v. Board. That is doublespeak, if there ever was. The Nation was set 
back again.
  What is happening? What happened here on the Senate floor yesterday 
and what happened across the street at the Supreme Court indicates that 
a narrow ideological minority is setting this country back, paralyzing 
this country. We live in a vast, changing global world where we need to 
move forward. We seem paralyzed because of a small ideological 
minority.
  I hope the American people will understand what has happened. I hope 
the American people will voice their protest. I hope the Supreme Court 
will come to its senses and not continue on

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this path of rollback on civil rights. I hope the Senate will come to 
its senses and come together on a fair immigration bill that deals with 
our Nation's problems. I pray for the future of this country.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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