Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, April 3. I further ask unanimous consent that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate resume consideration of S. 2454, the border security bill, with the time until 5:30 p.m. being equally divided between the chairman and ranking member or their designees.

Mr. President, on Monday, the Senate will resume consideration of the border security bill. Last night, Senator Alexander offered his widely supported Strengthening American Citizenship Act. This legislation is reasonable, it is patriotic, and it will help newly arrived immigrants learn the responsibilities, the habits, and the privileges of American citizenship.

I had hoped that today we would have locked in a vote on that amendment and the Bingaman amendment for Monday. Unfortunately, the other side objected to allowing a vote on the Alexander amendment. I mention that only because it leaves me concerned that the other side may be falling into this pattern of delay and obstruction.

As I said and implied in all of my statements since we have started on this bill, we need to proceed in a civil way, a dignified way, and consider these amendments as soon as they are ready. I would encourage all of our colleagues to work aggressively to help bring this bill to closure over the next several days. We are right where I thought we would be in terms of finishing this bill, but it does mean that we are going to have to work together, come together and address substantive amendments in a substantive way and vote on those.

In closing--and I will close in a few seconds--if we don't come together, it means that we are not going to fulfill our responsibility to address these very important issues of border security, of the 11 million to 12 million people who are in this country under the temporary worker program that is being considered. We absolutely must have substantive debate and discussion that respects that we are a nation of the rule of law and a proud nation of immigrants, legal immigrants who have come to this country to work and contribute so much to our society.

So I hope that we will get back on track on Monday. We will be voting Monday afternoon at approximately 5:30. We will try to get a unanimous consent for votes on the pending amendments, and Members should expect at least two votes Monday evening.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. President, today we begin with a 60-minute period for morning business, with that time equally divided. Following morning business, we will return to the debate on S. 2454, the border security bill. The consent agreement from yesterday provides that the time until 12 noon be equally divided for debate only.

At noon, Chairman Specter will be here to offer an amendment. There will then be a period for general debate until 5 p.m. this afternoon.

Today Senators should have the opportunity to offer amendments, and I hope we can debate and vote on some of those amendments. Today is only Thursday, and we will be working today and tomorrow on this bill, and I think we can make good progress over the course of this week. I encourage Members to get their amendments ready and contact the managers when they are prepared to get into a lineup to offer their amendments.

We expect votes today on the border security bill, and I will be working with the Democratic leader and the two bill managers to set up a vote as early as possible this afternoon.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, the debate and discussion today has been superb in terms of addressing the overall issue of border security and immigration. It centers on the issue of security, of the economy itself, social issues, and issues of compassion. The amendment I have just proposed is an amendment that focuses on the latter; that is, the issue of compassion.

Over the past decade more than 3,000 men, women, and children have died along our borders. These deaths represent an immense humanitarian tragedy, a tragedy that all too often is shuffled off into the corner. While we have an obligation to protect our borders--and much of our discussion over the last 24 hours has been on the absolute critical importance of securing those borders--I think we have even a higher obligation to protect and preserve the life of every person who sets foot on American soil.

The people who die come here searching for a better life. They are not bad people. There are people such as Matias Garcia.

Mr. Garcia was the oldest of five children. He left school at the age of 8 to work in the fields. It is a story which is not too uncommon today. Each year he would cross that border illegally, unfortunately, coming into this country to enter California.

In the spring of 2003, he started crossing that border in May--one of the hottest months of the summer. A coyote--a human smuggler--left him with only 2 gallons of water. It wasn't enough. He became delirious, lost touch with reality and collapsed on the ground, to die within sight of the Arizona highway he had struggled to reach.

I commend the Customs and Border Protection's existing efforts to save migrants. I know the men and the women of the Customs and Border Protection agency put human life first, but we are failing today.

When I first started looking into this issue, I asked for the statistics and the statistics simply were not available. I would have to go to a local newspaper, call that newspaper along that border and another newspaper to compile statistics.

We must better direct our efforts to understand why people die, where they die and, most importantly, what we can do to reduce that death toll.

I have already requested that the Government Accountability Office report to us about this. But we cannot wait. We must begin to count those deaths now to see what lies behind those deaths and to see what we can do to mitigate that unnecessary loss of life. We must reduce the death toll.

This amendment will do both of those things, and we must save all the lives we can. I ask my colleagues to support this vital amendment. It requires the CBP to begin compiling reports about the number of deaths along the borders and their causes, and to also analyze those trends in border deaths and suggest specific policies that might serve to reduce them.

I ask my colleagues to support this critical amendment.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, this week, the National Medical Association sponsored American Diabetes Alert Day, with the purpose of bringing the public's attention to this distressingly prevalent disease.

Approximately 20.8 million people in the United States have diabetes; 6.2 million, or about a third of that number, are unaware that they suffer from the disease, although they have it.

Among African Americans, approximately 3.2 million people, age 20 or older, have diabetes, with as many as one-third of that number remaining undiagnosed. Yet the ravages of that disease, which can be quite silent at first, continue.

These disparities also mean higher rates of heart disease, amputations, loss of eyesight, and a host of other serious complications caused by diabetes.

African Americans are over two times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from the disease. Today, nobody knows exactly why, and it needs to be explored and it needs to be eliminated.

I strongly believe that the troubling persistence of health disparities, these gaps and differences that are based on race, and even where you live at times, based on socioeconomic status--diabetes being one example--is a national issue that almost by definition affects us all.

I congratulate the National Medical Association, a very active organization, a tremendous organization, for their outreach, which they have explored through conferences and through e-mail and direct mail, for raising this awareness. A third of the people don't know they have diabetes.

All this is an issue of our common humanity, our oneness, and our commitment to one another as deserving, equal, and comparable citizens. Yet these disparities exist. Even if a person disagrees with my reasons, as others have pointed out, we all suffer the economic consequences in higher insurance rates and a compromised health system.

As a doctor, I have had the opportunity to interact with hundreds, actually thousands, of patients with a

whole variety of health problems. Oftentimes, these patients have heart problems, cardiovascular problems, as a result of diabetic complications. Some of our patients with diabetes had to have heart transplants, developing a diabetes cardiomyopathy. That was in medicine, but today in the Senate, as the majority leader, working with my colleagues, I have had the opportunity to address this issue through legislative remedies.

Two years ago, in 2004, I joined a number of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cosponsor legislation that I have written called Closing The Health Care Gap. It was bipartisan and it addressed the issue of disparities. Our work has been ongoing, and I look forward, in the coming weeks, to addressing another bipartisan bill with the help of, again, many of the same colleagues, including Senators Kennedy, Enzi, and many others, that addresses these health care disparities, including diabetes.

Together we are working to craft the very best possible strategies to eliminate health care disparities all across the country. With the great work of groups such as the National Medical Association, we are able to explore and educate at the grassroots level, building support for not just this legislation but for the policies in this legislation that can eliminate these gaps over time.

Speaking of grassroots, in Nashville, TN, my hometown, on April 8, citizens will go out to the location at our Nashville Zoo for the 15th annual ``Walk on the Wild Side.'' It is also known as ``America's Walk for Diabetes.'' This is a nationwide walk, and it is the American Diabetes Association's signature special event.

With strong support from the business community, including sponsorship and corporate teams, the walk raises nearly $20 million nationwide to find a cure for diabetes and to support the overall mission. I encourage those listening to sign up and throw their support behind those worthy efforts.

Dr. James Galvin, III, a close friend of mine, president of Morehouse School of Medicine, someone who has been a colleague, somebody I admire tremendously in his work at Morehouse, has said:

Diabetes is a disease about which we can do a great deal,

but only when those affected are informed and empowered to

take the kind of control of this disease that is now

possible.

I agree. I wholeheartedly agree. I look forward to the day when all of our citizens around the country have access to quality care, no matter what location they live in, who they are, or where they are from.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 31. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate resume consideration of S. 2454, the border security bill.

Mr. President, today we had some good debate, made good progress, had good discussion on this border security bill. We had hoped to have more votes on amendments to this bill this evening. We were unable to make that progress. But we will return tomorrow and try to set up votes on the three pending amendments.

Again, I am disappointed we could not schedule more action on this bill this week in terms of votes. We have Senators who are waiting to offer amendments, so I hope tomorrow we can reach agreement for a time- certain for the next votes. It is clear to me at this point that we will not be able to set any votes for tomorrow, and therefore I announce now that there will be no votes tomorrow. We will have multiple votes on Monday, and we will announce that schedule on Friday.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. President, I wish everyone a good morning as we start a very busy day in the Senate.

Yesterday, I think we defined a good glidepath to finishing the lobbying reform bill, after which we will return to the immigration issues.

Today, following our period of morning business, we will return to the consideration of the lobbying reform bill. Yesterday, we invoked cloture by a vote of 81 to 16, and therefore I believe we will be able to finish that bill at an early hour today. The order from last night provides that all amendments must be offered no later than 11 a.m. this morning. The bill managers will be here and will be able to call up amendments if Members are unable to get to the floor by 11 o'clock. Therefore, at 11 o'clock this morning, we will be able to determine how many remaining amendments will require votes before we go to passage of the lobbying reform bill. We already have a time agreement with Senator Feingold on his amendment relating to gifts, and we will vote on that issue prior to noon today.

Once we complete the lobbying reform bill, we will proceed to the border control bill under the order entered yesterday. We will begin that bill for a period of debate first before we get into the amendment process. Many Senators have indicated that there is a desire to have opening statements before we begin to consider other immigration issues. Therefore, we have provided for that period for debate, and I encourage Members to take advantage of this opportunity today, this afternoon, or this evening.

Having said that, we will be voting today on a number of lobbying amendments as well as passage of the lobbying reform bill. I also encourage Senators to keep their schedules open for the remainder of the week as we get into the border control bill and related issues. We are providing ample time for the consideration of this bill, and we need to take advantage of each day between now and the recess for this bill.

It was now over 3 months ago that we said we would spend these 2 weeks on the issues of border control, of interior enforcement, and issues such as the temporary worker issues. We will be doing that over these 2 weeks. I believe we can complete that over the course of these 2 weeks. I do encourage our colleagues to get involved early, both in the debate and taking advantage of the time we are providing beginning today, tonight, and every day and every night between now and the next recess.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, earlier this year, I made a commitment, with the Democratic leader, to make lobbying and ethics reform a top priority this year and not just another political talking point. By passing lobbying reform today, the Senate, in a way that demonstrates us working together in a bipartisan way, will fulfill that commitment.

I am pleased the Senate has led the way. We were the first to develop ideas through a bipartisan working group, the first to introduce a comprehensive lobbying reform package to two committees, the first to have those committee hearings and markups, the first to debate those issues on the floor of a body, and today we will pass the first lobbying reform bill in Congress in over a decade.

The goals of this legislation are simple, they are straightforward. It is about trust. It is about transparency. It is about accountability. Trust is the foundation of our democratic government. We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The American people have entrusted us with their votes, have entrusted us with their hard-earned tax dollars, and they expect us to uphold the highest standards of honesty, of integrity. With public opinion of Congress at an alltime low, we have to do a better job of regaining that trust and that confidence. We must bring more transparency and accountability into our Government. We must conduct our Nation's business focusing on the public interest and not special interests. By passing this bill to reform our lobbying and ethics rules, we will do just that.

Among its many provisions, the bill will enhance public disclosure of lobbyist activities and campaign contributions, ban gifts and meals from registered lobbyists to Senators and staff, require enhanced scrutiny and Ethics Committee preapproval for privately funded travel, slow the revolving door between Government and lobbying, and reform our earmark process to cut pork-barrel spending.

I also thank the managers--Senator Lott, Senator Collins, Senator Lieberman, and Senator Dodd--for their tremendous work both in their respective committees and, indeed, on the floor.

I thank Senator Santorum, who very early on, on the Republican side, stepped forward and with his leadership began a lobbying reform working group upon which much of this work has been based. Many of the provisions in this bill are, in large part, a result of the meetings he had.

I also thank all of my colleagues, again, as expressed by the Democratic leader, on both sides of the aisle--and especially the Democratic leader--for their cooperation in moving this legislation forward in a way and in a manner which I believe really dignifies this body working together.

A lot of people say we have moved way too fast. An equal number say we have moved too slow. Right now, there are many people coming forward saying: No, we need to change these provisions. Adding to what the Democratic leader said, this is not a perfect bill, but this bill is a major step forward. It is a product of working together, Democrats and Republicans.

In closing, most everyone agrees that we have taken the issue of lobbying and ethics reform seriously. Indeed, we have. We have produced a strong and meaningful result that will have implications for years to come.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be dispensed with.

Mr. President, pursuant to the order of March 28, I ask that the Senate now begin consideration of S. 2454. I further ask unanimous consent that the time until 8 p.m. be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

I further ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of the bill tomorrow, the time until 12 noon be equally divided in the same form for debate only, and that at noon the chairman be recognized in order to offer an amendment; provided further that there then be debate only until 5:30, with the time divided in a similar fashion.

Mr. President, to clarify, we are now on what will be passionately discussed over the next several days, a very important piece of legislation that addresses the range of border security issues surrounding enforcement, interior enforcement, temporary worker programs--a debate which I know and expect will be civil and held with dignity, but what is a very difficult debate.

I will make a brief opening statement and then turn to the chairman and ranking member, but also I would like to make a statement shortly after they do.

Mr. President, this debate, when you boil it down to its essence, is about the American dream and the home that this country offers for so many hard-working people--a difficult debate, an important debate. But it is also an issue about what it means to be a nation, and every nation must keep its citizens safe and its borders secure.

That is why we are starting with the Securing America's Borders Act, a bill I introduced prior to the March recess. This bill acknowledges the overriding principle that we must protect our citizens by securing our borders. 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 serious national security challenge, second only to the war on terror. Every day we discover new facts that show how delay and inaction is making America less safe and less secure.

In January, officials discovered a massive tunnel stretching nearly a half mile from Tijuana to San Diego. We don't know how many more snuck in. We do know that mixed in with the families seeking a better life are drug dealers, human traffickers, terrorists, and common criminals who cross our border into this country every day.

But the danger is not only to America. It is danger to those who try to

cross our borders as well. Unofficial data collected along the Arizona border shows that nearly 225 people died last year crossing that border. About 10 percent perished under circumstances that suggest foul play.

We all know the terrible stories of criminals who prey on vulnerable migrants, who charge outrageous prices to smuggle them across the border and then often abandon them at the moment trouble strikes. It is wrong. It is time for us to act. And over the next week and a half on this floor we will act.

The bill that I introduced 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.

First and foremost, we need better enforcement and we need more manpower on the ground. Last year, the Senate led the charge to provide funding for 1,000 additional officers, more equipment, and more detention beds. That 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 nearly 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 a long-term project of building a virtual barrier to cover every mile of our 1,951-mile border with Mexico.

This will both make America safer, and it will reduce the number of people endangering themselves trying to come into our country.

In addition to physically strengthening our 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 it allows the department to set up additional border checkpoints. Moreover, the border security bill creates tough, new penalties for human smugglers and document forgers.

Under this bill, terrorists, dangerous gang members, and others with serious criminal connections face expedited removal from the United States.

But this bill doesn't just draw on the common sense of the American people for its provisions. It also looked to the 9/11 Commission Report for guidance. This Commission recommended that we consolidate border screening systems. The border security bill does just that.

It encourages the use of biometric data to keep track of who is coming and going. Again, the border security bill does just that. It identified the need of State and local officials to work with Federal agencies to identify terrorist suspects. The border security bill does just that.

Securing the border and enforcing our laws are crucial first steps to making America safer. But much more remains to be done. And we will address these other issues over the next week and a half.

There are over 11 million people in this country llegally. Congress simply cannot turn a blind eye to this growing number. We need to act. Our Nation is founded on the rule of law by generations upon generations of immigrants. We should not have to choose between these founding principles. Instead, we need to honor both traditions.

In my view, neither the House bill nor the bill reported by the Judiciary Committee yet quite strikes that appropriate balance, and both need to be improved. I believe the House bill is incomplete because it fails to provide a comprehensive solution to our immigration situation, one that allows for necessary and helpful legal immigration and that welcomes those who play by the rules.

We should reward those who respect the rule of law, who made it here the right way, and who are trying to make it here the right way. I believe the committee bill by contrast goes too far in granting illegal immigrants with what most Americans will see as amnesty.

I disagree with this approach not just as a matter of principle but because granting amnesty now will only encourage future and further disrespect for the law. It will undermine our efforts to secure our homeland. There are better ways to address this issue.

Senator Kyl and Senator Cornyn have a proposal. Senator Specter had a chairman's mark and a proposed compromise, and all of these approaches created a temporary worker program without a grant of amnesty. We need to find a legal way for employers to find the people they need to keep their businesses running and continue to grow the economy. Creating legal paths of immigration is a way to do this.

In the end, it is my hope we will have a bill which has both strong enforcement mechanisms with additional border and interior security and real employer accountability that addresses the humanitarian and economic challenges we now face without amnesty.

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 the law. The full Senate should have a chance to discuss, to deliberate, to debate, and to decide how we balance that rule of law with the situation as we find it. We are here to solve problems and not to stand by as problems get worse. Those problems are getting worse. We need to work together so that all 100 Senators have the opportunity to work within our rules to solve this problem.

The committee bill, while not perfect, makes real and significant progress in many areas. I believe it can be improved upon. It has formalized a new consensus in the Senate, one that did not exist a year ago, on aggressive provisions to protect our borders, including new detection technologies, significant new increases in Border Patrol agents, tough provisions on alien smuggling and, for the first time, a real employer verification enforcement title.

As is the right of the chairman, the Judiciary Committee product will be offered as an amendment to the Border Patrol security bill that has been introduced. Moreover, I expect a whole series of amendments which will attempt to tighten the amnesty and temporary worker provisions in the judicial bill. I intend to support those amendments.

I recognize we have important principled differences that will be expressed in the Senate with conviction and with passion over the next several days. I expect the debate to be contentious. I also expect it will be civil and it will be respectful. I invite all who have ideas to work with us. Together we can bring our best to bear on the problem of illegal immigration so America is safer and is more secure.

As I said when I introduced my bill, I want this coming debate to reflect our commitment to the rule of law and to our proud immigrant inheritance. We are a nation of immigrants. We have all benefited from America's uniquely inclusive ethos. But America is also a nation of laws. Our laws bind us and protect us. They transform us from seekers into citizens. They are the very foundation of our democracy.

I am glad many agree on the need to ensure our debate is in the best keeping of the Senate's tradition. We ought to be honest about the problems we face, face them directly, and be honest about the outcomes we seek, within a framework of conversation that does credit to the Senate and to the Nation. We will conduct this debate with respect and seriousness.

I look forward to a thorough discussion over the coming days.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, we are beyond 12:30 p.m. Thus, I ask unanimous consent to delay the recess until we complete, in a few minutes, two items of business we will be addressing.

Mr. President, we are going to address two issues, and those are the issue surrounding the lobbying bill, which is on the floor now, and we will march through that issue--the Democratic leader and I will explain to our colleagues what has just been done--and then also we expect to address the issue surrounding immigration and the cloture vote that is scheduled this afternoon.