Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, The Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief Act, 2005--Confernece Report --Continued

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR DEFENSE, THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR, AND TSUNAMI RELIEF ACT, 2005--CONFERENCE REPORT--Continued

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, the emergency supplemental appropriations conference report before us today is a critically important piece of legislation. This bill will ensure that our troops in Iraq, who put their lives on the line for us every day, are properly equipped and protected. It provides vital funds to support the emergence of a free Afghanistan, and it provides much-needed funding for tsunami relief.

I am supporting this conference report even though I strongly oppose the REAL ID provisions that are also included. The REAL ID Act is a complete overhaul of our immigration laws that would, amongst other things, impose complicated new driver's license requirements on States, make it harder for refugees at risk of persecution to be granted asylum, and suspend all environmental laws along the U.S. border.

This language will result in the most significant changes to our immigration policy in 10 years. While we have long recognized the need for comprehensive immigration reform, this debate has no business taking place as part of an emergency spending bill. Legislation of this importance deserves to be the subject of focused study and serious debate. Passing REAL ID without careful consideration is reckless, irresponsible, and a disservice to the American people.

http://thomas.loc.gov/