Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I also would like to thank the Senator from Colorado for his generosity with his time and for giving me the opportunity to make some remarks. I have an amendment I filed which I do not think we are going to get an opportunity to have pending tonight. I hope we can get it pending at some point. I hope we can have a number of amendments pending and voted on. That is, after all, what the Senate should be about. Clearly, on an issue of this consequence to the American people and for those of us who represent States from all across the country, this is an issue that needs to be debated. That is why many of us voted to get on the bill today. I think we can all acknowledge that we have an immigration system that is broken and it needs to be fixed.

As I come to the floor to discuss this particular amendment, I am reminded that each time Congress has tried to fix our immigration system, there have been promises and more promises of a more secure border. Unfortunately, those promises are never upheld. The bill before us is well intended, but it is following the same path as past immigration bills. Under this bill, it is certain that 12 million undocumented workers will receive legal status soon after the bill is enacted. However, the border security provisions are nothing more than promises which, again, may never be upheld.

When I talk to my constituents back in South Dakota, they ask a couple of questions. The first one is: When will our Federal Government keep its promises on border security? I think that is first and foremost the issue most people see when they look at the immigration debate. They want to know why it is that we continue to talk about enforcing the law and securing the border, but we do not follow through on the steps that are necessary to do that.

They also ask the second question: Why do we need more laws? Why do we need more laws when we are not enforcing the laws that are currently on the books? It is time we follow through on the promises that have been made in the past of a more secure border. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 required 700 miles of reinforced double-layered fencing along the southern border. This goal was reaffirmed when Congress passed the Secure Fence Act in 2006. To date, less than 40 miles out of the 700 miles of fencing required by law has been completed. My amendment, amendment No. 1197, simply requires that we implement current law prior to legalization as an indication that we are serious about border security. As specified by this amendment, 350 miles of the fencing would be required prior to RPI status being granted. The completion of this section of the fence would be a tangible demonstration that this administration is serious about border security.

After RPI status is granted, the remaining 350 miles required by current law would have to be constructed during the 10-year period before registered provisional immigrants can apply for green cards.

There are a lot of issues associated with this bill. It has a lot of moving parts. There are lots of things, as this debate continues, that need to be addressed and hopefully amendments that will be offered on the floor can make this bill stronger and improve it as it goes through the process. I say to my colleagues in the Senate that if we are serious about wanting to show that we get this whole issue of border security and we are not just talking about it but actually making real changes to make our border more secure, then this amendment is one way to show it. After all, many of us acknowledge that of the many components and elements of this debate, first and foremost is that we have to address the issue of border security.

It gets talked about. There is a lot of rhetoric surrounding it. There is a lot of rhetoric in the Senate, as I mentioned earlier about this very subject where promises and commitments have been made, promises and commitments that have never been fulfilled with respect to border security.

This amendment, No. 1197, as I said, is very simple, very straightforward, and only follows through on commitments that have been made by Congress in the past and which I think the American people expect and, frankly, have a right to expect, that we would follow through on: 350 miles of fence before RPI status is granted and another 350 miles of fence prior to a green card being issued.

It is not complicated. I think in a lot of respects this issue is not complicated. It is certainly not complicated in the minds of the American people who think first and foremost this is about border security, about border enforcement, about a nation that is able to control its very borders for so many reasons, many of which have been discussed and talked about and I hope will be talked about even more in the days ahead.

I understand I do not have the opportunity to get this amendment up and pending to where it could be voted on this evening, but I certainly hope, at least as we get underway in this debate tomorrow, that those of us who have amendments we think would strengthen and improve this bill will have the opportunity to put them forward and to get them voted on.

Amendment No. 1197 is one of those. I certainly hope tomorrow the managers of the bill will be able to allow us a pathway where we can get amendments voted on. I think this will improve the bill. I think it strengthens the bill and it certainly follows through on a commitment that has been made to the American people many times over and has not yet been followed through on.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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