Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee
Comprehensive Immigration Reform, S.744
Closing Remarks
Thursday, June 27, 2013
As we’ve seen over the last few weeks, immigration is an emotional issue that engenders strong feelings from both sides of the aisle. Everyone wants reform, but everyone has their own ideas and different solutions.
Coming into the debate, my position was clear. I voted for legalization in 1986, and it didn’t solve the problem. We screwed up. And, today, we’re right back at the same place, talking about the same problems, and proposing the same solutions.
Unfortunately, the process hasn’t allowed us to fundamentally improve the bill. We haven’t been able to vote up or down on common sense amendments.
Despite the fact that the American people want the border secured before we provide a path to legalization, there appears to be a majority in this body that believe legalization must come first.
Despite what the Gang of Eight wrote in their framework for immigration reform, legalization is not contingent upon our success in securing our borders and addressing visa overstays. The bill won’t ensure that a future Congress isn’t back here in 25 years dealing with the same problems.
We need a bill that ensures results. We need a bill that puts security before legalization, not the other way around.
We are a nation based on the rule of law. We have a right to protect our sovereignty and a duty to protecting the homeland. Any border security measures we pass must be real and immediate, not 10 years down the road.
We also need meaningful interior enforcement, including allowing immigration officers to do their job and work with state and locals officials.
Enforcement of the immigration laws has been lax and increasingly selective in the last few years. Because federal immigration enforcement officers have been handicapped from doing their job, the states have tried to step up. Yet, they have been denied the opportunity to control their own borders.
The unfortunate reality is that the bill does almost nothing to strengthen our interior enforcement efforts. It does nothing to encourage cooperation between the federal, state and local governments. The federal government will continue to look the other way as millions of new people enter the country illegally. Meanwhile, the bill gives the States no new authority to act when the federal government refuses.
One of the major reasons why immigration is a subject of significant public interest is the failure of the federal government to enforce existing law. Eleven million people have unlawfully entered the country or overstayed their visa because the federal government did not deter them or take action to remove them. The bill significantly weakens current criminal laws and will hinder the ability of law enforcement to protect Americans from criminal undocumented aliens.
In addition to weakening current law, the bill does very little to deter criminal behavior in the future. It ignores sanctuary cities, and increases the thresholds required for actions to constitute a crime. And, regrettably, the bill is weak on foreign national criminal street gang members.
Furthermore, the bill falls short in protecting American workers who need and want jobs in this country. While I support allowing businesses to bring in foreign workers, they should only do so when qualified Americans are not available.
I have long argued that we must enhance and expand opportunities for people who wish to work legally in the country. Yet, as we do that, we cannot forget the American worker. We need to fight for them as well.
Finally, I empathize with people who come into this country to have a better life. We would do anything to give our kids a better life.
We’re a compassionate people. And, we’re also the best country in the world. But, we’re a great country because we’ve always abided by the rule of law. The rule of law is what makes all opportunities that we have possible.
I will vote against the bill today, but I have hopes for a better product to come out of a conference committee. My hope is that we send a bill to the President that will make America stronger, make our border more secure, and make our immigration system more effective. That’s what Americans deserve, and what we have a responsibility to deliver.
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