Intelligence Committee Reorganization

INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REORGANIZATION

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I congratulate Senator Chambliss and Senator Kennedy on this amendment which I think injects some needed rationality in this process. I certainly support the goal of improving the oversight of our intelligence community and homeland security efforts. But I think what has happened in our haste is that there has been some unintended consequences, and one is attempted to be remedied by this amendment.

Simply stated, this amendment, as Senator Kennedy and Senator Chambliss have already addressed, would retain the immigration functions at the Border and Transportation Security Directorate in the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. President, I, as does the Presiding Officer, serve on the Judiciary Committee in large part because of my concern about immigration and border security issues as a Senator from Texas, with a 1,200-mile border with Mexico, one of the more problematic borders of this country. I serve with Senators from California and Arizona. The only State not represented on the Southern border is the State of New Mexico.

But as the Presiding Officer knows, immigration issues are exceedingly contentious and complex. Frankly, there are a number of Senators on the Judiciary Committee who have invested an awful lot of time and effort to try to get up to speed. And indeed, there are others, like me, who have introduced immigration reform bills, which I am hopeful will be brought up when we return in January or shortly thereafter.

What I am concerned about is if we make this change now, it will delay long-overdue immigration reform in this country as the new committee to which it is assigned is getting up to speed. It is no slight meant to them. They are very distinguished and competent Senators. But the truth is, the staff and Senators who have been involved in immigration issues on the Judiciary for a long time have learned a lot, developed a lot of the relationships and contacts with the various parties who are interested in this issue, the stakeholders.

Just in terms of injecting some modest bit of rationality in this process, I am pleased to join Senator Chambliss, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Leahy, who I know will also speak to this matter, and others on the Senate Judiciary Committee in saying that if common sense and rationality prevail in this process, then this amendment will be accepted, either by agreement, by unanimous consent, or by a vote. And I certainly would urge all of my colleagues to support the amendment in the event a vote is required.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.