March 28, 2006

REID STATEMENT ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

Washington, DC — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement today on comprehensive immigration reform legislation about to come up for debate in the U.S. Senate:

“There is widespread acknowledgment that our immigration system is broken. There is a crisis at our borders, and we need a comprehensive strategy to address it.

“Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out a bill with strong bipartisan support that would do exactly what I believe is necessary to restore order to our immigration system. The Committee bill offers real solutions, with tough, effective enforcement and smart reforms. This bill would secure our borders, crack down on employers who hire illegally, and bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.

“I commend Chairman Specter, Ranking Member Leahy and the rest of the Committee for their hard work in completing this bill.

“I have received assurances from the Majority that it will be in order for Chairman Specter to offer the Committee-reported bill as the first amendment to Senator Frist’s border security bill. That amendment will be a complete substitute, so if it is adopted by the full Senate it will completely supersede the Frist bill.

“Based on those assurances, we have consented to vitiate the cloture vote and allow the debate to move forward. Under the process we have agreed upon, the foundation of the Senate’s upcoming debate on immigration policy will be the bipartisan Committee bill.

“I want to express my satisfaction that the full Senate will be allowed to debate the comprehensive, bipartisan immigration bill that the Judiciary Committee adopted yesterday. I welcome that debate.”

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