Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2007--Continued

Floor Speech

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT OF 2007--Continued -- (Senate - June 06, 2007)

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I know it has been a long day. But the majority leader has filed a cloture motion which will be voted on tomorrow. There is concern that there are many amendments that have been filed which have not been allowed to be called up and be made pending.

While I think there have been some recent indications that there is more of a willingness to allow amendments to be considered, I am very concerned, because of the procedural posture we will find ourselves in very soon, that some of these amendments will not be allowed to be considered.

I am concerned as well that may very well affect how many of us are required to vote on cloture. I think there has been a recent spirit of cooperation which I hope continues. But if there is going to be an insistence on a vote on cloture, and at the same time a denial of the opportunity of many of us to call up amendments and actually have them considered and voted on, I do not think we will have any alternative but to vote against cloture.

I regret the reluctance to allow us to call up amendments continues at this time. If permitted, I want to call up at least four of my amendments: 1400, 1208, 1337, and 1399. But I understand there has been objection lodged. There likely will be objection lodged to additional unanimous consent requests.

I would note for the record here that there are a lot of other amendments that have not been allowed to be considered, and we have got a lot of work to do before we can consider that everybody has had the opportunity to call up amendments and have them voted on.

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I do not dispute the numbers. They are what
they are. But I would point out that this bill did not go through the Judiciary Committee. Last year when the McCain-Kennedy amendment and the bill considered in the Judiciary Committee, I believe there were 62 amendments filed. I think there were a lot more filed than that, but actually 62 amendments. So there was a process at the Judiciary Committee level last year which gave people an opportunity to have their positions heard. That has not been the case this year. I would point that out as an obvious point of distinction. I hope there is not going to be any attempt to try to force this bill through before Senators are ready to consider all or at least a reasonable number of amendments, because I do not think we will have any alternative but to vote against cloture, to allow debate to continue and allow additional amendments to be heard.

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I believe a demonstration of willingness to allow us to call up amendments and have them debated and actually voted on would have been reflected in the last 2 weeks. As I have pointed out, I was denied for a full 2 weeks an opportunity to have the very first amendment I called up actually scheduled for a vote. I know the distinguished deputy majority leader is acting in good faith. But I think we need to have a vote on that cloture motion at the time it is currently scheduled. So I would respectfully object.

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